Rainy Days
by Wynth
Summary: It took her a while before Sakura was convinced that she was once again in her twelve year old body, but by that time it was too late. •Time-Travel / AU•
1. Konoha Again

_Done a lot of times, I know, but I wanted to try my hand at Time-travel with Sakura going back. Here's the result, so far. It's also far fun. :) Also, I realise Sakura may be a little annoying at the beginning, but it's all because of what she believes. She gets better in chapter four. _

_Constructive criticism is appreciated and encouraged, but please point out where in my story you are talking about, so I can fully understand. Thank you._

_**Update (16/08/2014):**__ This story was written before I read the spoilers of the Third Shinobi War. Therefore, certain people didn't die in the future Sakura knew; some of the battles did not happen; and the war's resolution is different. Please keep this in mind when reading._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Naruto._

_Enjoy! XD_

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><p>RAINY DAYS<strong><br>—CHAPTER ONE—  
><strong>_Konoha Again_

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><p>RUN.<p>

Sakura panted loudly as she fought against the clambering fear in her chest and throat. A knock on the door made her thoughts go wild and she heard her mother's voice calling her name softly. Panic sprouted like a fountain and she scrambled for the window, unlocking the latch and flinging the glass doors open loudly.

Still in her chequered pyjamas, the twelve year old Sakura leapt from the upstairs window sill to the soft dirt beneath. Pain zigzagged up her legs at the hard land, but the long-haired rosette didn't wait to catch her breath as she looked both ways of the alley way she was in before sprinting down the right.

She heard her name being called desperately behind her, but she didn't risk glancing back as she continued sprinting, her body swaying – she was unused to the new weight of her body. Twigs and pebbles stabbed and hurt her feet as she slammed them against the ground, but it was easy to ignore. Suddenly merging with a busy morning street of Konoha, she almost ran into an older woman with long brown hair and holding a basket, but she managed to swerve in time, only to trip over her feet and fall to the ground again.

"Watch where you're going, girl!" the woman screamed at her, but Sakura, like everything else, ignored it.

Tears blurred her eyes as she disregarded the confused looks she was receiving from basically anyone who bothered to notice that a twelve year old girl wearing her sleeping garments and running barefoot down a busy street was just a little weird. She heard her name being called once or twice again, but the rosette stopped for no one as she slipped down another less empty street.

She leaned against the stone wall a little ways down near a store, hand grabbing at her heart that felt like it was about to burst; it was pumping so loudly that she could hear it thrum in her ears. Blood started to rise below her skin, staining her cheeks and hands a light red as she inhaled hoarsely. More tears left her eyes as she sealed them shut and let a sob crawl up her throat and out her lips, making her choke on air in retraction.

There was just—no way—couldn't be—! She had to find more proof. Her room was one, her body, two, her mother, three, her house, four, her weaker body, five, but it was still not enough. She wasn't convinced. It just—no.

A growl gurgled through Sakura's throat and she started to sprint again. She ran harder and faster to all the places she could think that confirmed her worst thoughts. Lady Tsunade's face was not on the Hokage Mountain; the dumpling store that was moved further into the food district after the attack on Konoha during the Chuunin Exams was back in its old location, still being managed by the old man who had hair growing out of his ears. Every face she passed, whether it be a child's or an adult's, was unmarred of fear and causality of war; or a recently destroyed hometown.

Everything was back to the way it was before the Chuunin Exams. And as this thought started to make itself set in stone in every crevice of her mind, Sakura started to notice her screaming lungs and how unbalanced she felt.

She was almost convinced. There was just no way Konoha could _ever_ look the same as it had back then. There was just no way.

The last bit of strength oozed out of Sakura by the time she reached the training grounds, but by then, the doubt had fizzled to denial. The grounds didn't look the same. After Konoha had been flattened by the Akatsuki, the training areas were practically unrecognisable. Even after the years of re-growing the trees or smoothening out the earth, they never looked the same as they used to. But now they were.

She collapsed to her knees, long pink hair spilling over her shoulders and spooling on the earth. Tears spotted the flat earth as they fell, one by one, from her creased eyes. Sobs were pulled from her chest one after the other, and slowly she lowered her head to the ground, her arms triangle-d beneath it to steady her weak body.

Her legs were jelly, her feet bleeding and lightly clogged with dark-red clumps of dirt. Her blue and white pyjama's were covered with mud and grass stains, but Sakura didn't care. She didn't care, either, that she had collapsed where ninja were training, and were wondering why the hell she was there.

She just. Didn't. Care.

"Hey, little girl, are you okay?" one of them asked her in a soft voice. "Ow!"

"Of course she's not alright, stupid!" another piped up, his vocals loud enough to drown out her sobs.

"I wonder whose kid she is."

"Genjutsu," Sakura muttered so quietly that it could have been mistaken for a snivel. She swayed her head, nails digging into the soft soil.

"What was that?"

"It has to be a Genjutsu," she whispered again.

"Oh, hey, kid. It's okay," the initial shinobi tried to calm, placing a hand on her back softly in case she'd lash out. Sakura almost did. By Kami-sama she was about to grab his wrist and twist it around his back, but she didn't have strength for one, and by the time that thought breached her muddled mind, someone had called her name.

"Sakura! Sakura—oh my God, your feet!"

It was her mother again and the rosette tensed her entire body before curling up a little tighter. Someone crouched down next to her the same time new hands slipped over her back and rested on both of her shoulders. Soft, comforting mutterings were being whispered in her ear, and Sakura felt denial dramatically shoot to her mind again when she recognised the voice as her father's.

A lighter touch caressed her lower back and another person leaned down on her other side. Her mother. Discomfort squirmed in her stomach.

"Genjutsu," the rosette whispered, eyes shut tight. "Genjutsu, has to be." She felt sick. Really sick.

"What-What did she say?" her mother asked uncertainly, looking up at her husband. Her face was a worry filled pale, her eyes wide at what had just happened.

He shook his head. "I don't know. I can't hear her." Sakura's father looked up at the two shinobi watching them and asked again, but they, too, reported the negative.

"Sorry. Couldn't discern them through her tears," the initial ninja explained, crossing his arms. His friend slapped his bicep and gestured to the training stumps, and quietly the two left, glancing back at the strange pinkette once or twice.

"Kami-sama, Sakura," Mother sobbed, resting her forehead on her daughter's head. "You worried me half to death. I opened the door to see you flying out your window." She ran a hand through Sakura's pink hair and moved her sweaty fringe back so that she could see her daughter's green eyes – eyes that were filled with horror. "What were you thinking? You could have been hurt!"

"Her sensei should be coming soon," the husband announced. "Then we'll take her to the hospital to get her feet taken a look at." She felt him brush a thumb over the bottom of her feet, and only then started to take into account that they hurt like hell!

"They're covered in dirt and blood," Mother tutted. Sakura stirred, feeling her body tremble in disbelief.

It was a Genjutsu. Had to be. Must be. Just believe it.

"Mr and Mrs Haruno," a new voice sounded. Iruka Umino rushed over to the three, instantly catching sight of Sakura's slightly bloody feet and more than unsettled shivering body. "What did she do?" he asked himself, bending down to take a look at the small wounds she had.

Sakura started, bile suddenly surging through her throat and out her mouth, splattering against the earth. She choked on the acid-like taste on her tongue, tears dripping again. She didn't intend to swallow, but she did, and felt like throwing up as her throat contracted against the horrible taste.

"Oh, Sakura. Better out than in," her mother murmured, a crooked smile on her face as she massaged Sakura's shoulders lightly. "It's okay, honey. It's okay."

Iruka glanced at the coughing rosette, grimacing at the vomit that her hair was threatening to fall into. Luckily her mother grabbed it in a bunch and held it securely on the back of her neck. "Mr Umino?" her father prompted.

"Should get her to the hospital," he murmured. "Just to take a look." He ran a hand over his head to his ponytail, sighing. "Today and tomorrow were going to be practical based days; running, kunai/shuriken throwing, among some other basics. She'll be off her feet for at least a week, maybe more if she's still like this." He paused, contemplating. "Do you know what happened?"

The red-headed woman shook her head forlornly, tips of her lips drooping downwards as Sakura continued to hack and choke on her sobs. "I heard her getting up this morning, then it went silent." Her fingers casually stroked her daughter's back. "I went up to check what she was doing but she didn't answer. Opened the door to see her disappear out the window."

Iruka nodded, finger tapping at his chin in thought before he scratched the lower hairline. "You'll find out when she comes down, I imagine," he remarked. "Mr Haruno, are you able to take her? I've left my class unattended."

"Yes, yes, of course," her dad spoke distractedly. "You must get back quickly. I'm… sorry for dragging you out."

"Not at all."

* * *

><p>It was… so strange.<p>

Sitting in front of the hospital window and looking out of it was just so strange. It was all because of what she saw. She could see pedestrians walking the afternoon lit streets, going about their usual business with an almost innocent, carefree air in their every motion, every smile or word. Back home—well, where she was from—Sakura couldn't look out of the window of the hospital without seeing fear and paranoia everywhere.

After Konoha had been flattened after the Akatsuki invasion and then rebuilt, no one – _no one_ – in Konoha was quite the same. Many children had been left homeless because their parents had been killed, and they had started to fill the streets until someone else found the heart to take them in; most went to an overflowing orphanage on the edge of town.

Adult figures, without any ninja capabilities, had started to rely so much more on the shinobi of the Leaf to the point that it was stressful. They pulled and tugged for the ninja to defend this land or to pick some vegetables before something terrible unexpectedly happened. Missions were plenty, shinobi were becoming few – especially when the war began.

Citizens of Konoha were left mostly in the dark as their shinobi went to war to protect them from afar. The peace and… 'tranquillity'… had started to stretch the longer the soldiers were gone. Samurai from the Fire Country's Daimyo did spread some relief and comfort, but not much when they imagined the ravaging war of shinobi.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves was broken; fractured by war and the daunting thoughts that someone was trying to control everything. Heck, she, herself, was petrified of the thought of one man lording when she was fighting in the war that involved the Hidden Country alliance against the Akatsuki, but she managed to push this possibility to the back of her mind to focus on her current predicament.

Sakura did not want to go through this entire feeling all over again. She just wouldn't be able to take it, but now she knew she might have to. Whether she was in a very strong and realistic Genjutsu, or stuck in some other sort of stupid thing, she didn't know, and that was what scared her the most.

"Sakura?"

The rosette whipped around, eyes wide as she soaked in the sight of both her parents standing worriedly at the hospital door. She teetered on her weak feet, a hand tightly clutching the firm pane of a window frame she was standing by. Water started to spill from her eyes as she closed and opened her mouth, trying to figure out what to say.

Seeing her parents in the flesh was basically… unimaginable, yet they were right there.

"Mother," she whispered croakily. _Is she my mum?_

The young red-headed woman glanced back at her husband, gripping his hand before nodding with a calming smile. "Are you alright now, Sakura? You gave us quite a scare."

She stole her way to her daughter with almost silent footsteps, hands outstretched. But as soon as her warm fingers touched Sakura's wet cheeks, the young kunoichi flinched and tore herself back to against the window. Pain flashed across her mother's face, and she slowly, hesitantly, lowered her pale arms.

Anxiety seeped into every pore in her body as wrinkles bloomed on her forehead. "Sakura. Please, tell me." She paused, waiting for the heavily breathing rosette staring out the window to control herself. "What is wrong?"

Her lips felt numb as she responded with a weak, "I'm fine." Sakura's eyes were wide, but she wasn't focusing on anything in front of her completely. She was unable to.

Mrs Haruno tightened her lips at the answer she was given, not believing a word of it. Her gaze flittered about Sakura's face, zoning in specifically on the pasty nature that her skin took on. "I don't believe you," she said.

Sakura shook her head minutely, her face remaining stony and her eyes capturing movement in the corner which showed Dad coming nearer. "You don't have to."

Her father sternly stared at her, emphasising his five o'clock shadow and the dark bags under his eyes to make him appear more like a rogue than a Konoha potterer. She could see his jaw stiffening, his teeth grinding against each other, and she knew he was bristling, noticeable by the way the stubble on his chin stuck out a little more, like a cat fluffing up its tail.

"Did you have a nightmare, honey?" her mother asked, reaching out again to touch the rosette, but like last time, Sakura cringed out of reach.

She shook her head again, closing her mouth and realising how dry it was; she swallowed. "I'm fine," she repeated, trying to scrounge up a smile that didn't seem to want to appear.

_I'm back to base one_, she realised scornfully. _I can feel it. Everything my body has learned is gone, which is very unusual for a Genjutsu to sap everything of me, and make me twelve again. But what could they possible hope to gain in the past? Back in my past? And who would be 'they'?_

"Alright," her father agreed, though seemed very hesitant to do so. "If you say so. I trust you."

Sakura nodded slowly.

"Will you be alright for school tomorrow?" her mother asked. Sakura watched as the older woman blindly searched for her husband's hand behind her and give it a tight squeeze. "The nurse said your feet are fine. They were a little wounded, but you should be okay for tomorrow."

School; where her oldest friends were, once again as twelve year olds and going about their daily routine like she had not been just tossed into a Genjutsu – or something worse. They wouldn't know that her mind was much older and much more experienced than what they thought.

Did this not give her an edge?

_No, it doesn't. Whoever cast this Genjutsu needed my memories, my mind, to uncover something that I might've known back around now. They could want anything, and I wouldn't know what it would be until it was too late._

_I have to be ready for anything; any curve ball they may throw at me to push me in the direction they want_. She looked at her parents who were whispering quietly to each other, casting worried glances in her direction that made her heart squirm in discomfort. _How dare they use my parents against me._

"No," she suddenly murmured, earning her 'parent's' attention. Her unfocused gaze sharpened on their confused expressions. "No, I'd like to stay home tomorrow."

Her mother frowned. "Are you sure? You have your exam coming up in a few weeks. I thought you wanted to get some practice in."

_I'll keep up the guise of an Academy student, which means nothing flashy – even though it's bound to be hard in this body anyway – so the Genjutsu user won't think that I'm on to them._

" And what about this Sasuke Uchiha you've always mentioned?"

Sakura hadn't even heard the end of her sentence before her eyesight went blurry and she felt herself slip back onto memory lane. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Sasuke; everything she had witnessed of him, everything she heard, and felt.

Crush, admiration, happiness, fear, fear, fear, sadness, love—betrayal, hatred!

Pain.

_No, stop,_ she begged. A jolt of pain bloomed in her chest when that one particular memory breached, and she sharply inhaled as she was brought back to reality, where the only people around her were her supposed parents trying to get her attention. It took her a moment to gather her senses.

Her gut felt as though it had turned to acid as she said, "I want to stay home tomorrow. Please." _I'm not going to let them tell me what to do._

_Whoever you are, I'm not going to fall for your game._


	2. Bit By Bit

—**CHAPTER TWO—  
><strong>_Bit By Bit_

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><p>The next day was close to a breeze. After all the running the other day, Sakura found herself having trouble even walking properly, much less going to the Academy and actively trying to learn. She had run almost everywhere in Konoha at full pelt and her body was absolutely not used to all the pushing, which was a huge pain in the ass – literally.<p>

Getting up from her bed was the hardest thing of the day. It wasn't because she was lazy or was unmotivated, but because she had hoped that when she went to bed the other night, she'd wake up in the right place and in the right time. But to her disappointment, she didn't, and she opened her eyes to face a peach coloured ceiling and a tiny fan spinning to circulate the air.

She had lain there for a good few hours, her body in pain but her mind wondering adversely. Why was she still there? How was she still there? More than once she lifted her fingers and shifted them into the tiger sign and whispered 'Kai', hoping, again, that the illusion would break, even with her lack of chakra.

Of course it didn't, which didn't make sense. A Genjutsu didn't sap a person of their chakra, although she knew that there were a few that made the victim think they were losing it but really weren't. It would shake the chakra flow they used for when they'd try to dispel it. She thought, maybe, this was the case.

The only thing that did make Sakura eventually get up was the increasing realisation that she smelled, and that lying in bed wasn't exactly her forte if she knew she was trapped.

She moaned as she lifted herself off of her bed slowly and swung her legs around the side. She stared at herself in the mirror opposite her, cringing at the dark bags under eyes and the dead, limp look her hair had taken on.

Her hair was one thing she was unused to seeing. She had grown it out before since the war but no where this long, so it was strange running her fingers down the lengthy pink locks distractedly. It was thick and full, though dry, and she could see the ends of it beginning to curl in the humidity of the summer day – and it smelled a little like vomit.

Sakura found herself groaning in distaste and she pushed herself off her bed, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and pilling over her head, removing her PJ shorts thereafter so she was wearing only her underwear.

So this is what she looked like.

"This is weird," she whispered. She widened her eyes a fraction and looked around her room, half expecting to see some sort of sign that showed that the Genjutsu user was listening in. Even though she saw nothing, she chose not to speak again, and in silence she resumed the weird inspecting of her twelve year old body, dull green eyes roaming up and down.

Her skin was slightly paler than what she was used to, her hips bones slightly more pronounced because she had been dieting – if her memory served her correctly, and speaking of which, she was starving – and her breasts were small to match with her thin shoulders.

To her she looked a little gangly, and she already sorely missed her old body; one that was filled out and had the right amount of muscle to match her strength and weight. But this? This was close to ridiculous. It was almost painful to look at, but Sakura found she had trouble looking away from the pale female staring back at her.

Now she was more curious about what the Genjutsu user hoped to find by putting her back into this body and taking away all her chakra. Truly, if the Genjutsu was taking all of her chakra, it would only continue until the victim realised it was occurring, and therefore that part of that the illusion should break. But it wasn't. And it hadn't. But she hoped to God it would.

The bleak reminder that she smelled brought her out of her stupor and she quickly put back on her PJ's and tiptoed to the bathroom a little down from her room at the end of the corridor. She was on full alert but didn't show it in her body as she slipped into the room and locked it. It was as she was taking off her shirt again did she stop and pause, tilting her head to the side when she noticed something.

Sakura stared intently at her tooth brush sitting in the mug next to the basin, and in seconds held it in her hand, twirling it in front of the mirror.

_This is too detailed,_ she noted, frowning at the object. The Genjutsu user would have no way of knowing such insignificant details to get it right, because Sakura knew that her tooth brush looked exactly the same as the one she used to use when she was twelve. It was one of those small things you just remembered for no reason.

It was green and white, and had the row of circle patterns on both sides – that was why she liked it. It was identical.

She put it back and opened the drawers below the sink, scouring through them. She recalled finding a tiny bottle of her mother's dark blue nail polish under the sink when she decided to clean up the bathroom at fourteen. She used it from time to time after that, so if it was there…

Only Sakura would have known about that.

And it was there; sitting behind an old bottle of something (the label was worn and unreadable) and looked every bit as it had six years ago.

Sakura stared at it for a good minute before she robotically closed the door and decided to have her shower. She was distracted the entire time.

What were the chances that the Genjutsu was filling in stuff like that with her own memories? The illusion had to be advanced to do that on top of everything else. Everything was a little too perfect. The shampoo and conditioner had the same fruity smell (which she chose because she thought that if she walked passed Sasuke he'd get one whiff of it and hook, line and sinker) and there was that crack in the tiled wall which was engraved into her memory (she remembered it because she had gotten annoyed by it).

She stepped out of the steamy shower minutes later, under the belief that the Genjutsu was just so advanced that it was using what she remembered to fill in the gaps. Sooner or later, though, she expected there to be a slip up. There had to be.

Every Genjutsu had some sort of mistake, which was almost always noticed by the victim if it didn't fit in with the base or topic of the illusion.

It was only a matter of time.

_Only_ a matter of time.

Sakura was a patient woman. With all the shit she had to put up with (the hospital, training, finding Sasuke, the war) she had to have some it. Compared to Naruto, she was very patient. He'd run into the thick of things without thinking or waiting or studying; Sakura did, but she wasn't, by all means, the most patient person on earth.

And when she was motivated and/or determined, she had the ability to wait the longest hours; which she knew she had to do if she ever wanted to escape this damn illusion.

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><p>The next few days were getting harder and harder for Sakura. Every day a worried Nanako - Mother - would come in to her room in the morning and ask if she was going to school, but Sakura, who still wanted to believe she was in a Genjutsu, refused to go and insisted that if she had to practice she could do it just as well at home.<p>

On one of the days when she refused to go, Sakura did herself a favour and decided to test where her abilities were at. She had started with kunai and shuriken throwing at first, planting her feet firmly on the ground to keep balanced and then tossing the practice weapons she had brought only from home. To her annoyance, none of them hit dead centre; in fact, everything was wrong.

Sakura was used to throwing the small blades with a longer arm and a higher view that it started to hurt her arm when she forced herself to stretch her muscles to get the right length. She stopped quickly, realising in frustration that she had to adjust the movement to match her current body.

She was far from perfect. With gradual adjusting she was getting better and actually managing to nab a spot on the dart board, but she had to think, initially, to do it properly, otherwise the kunai would hit the target and clutter on the ground.

Apart from kunai and shuriken throwing, Sakura had also started improving her chakra control by meditating on her bed. At first she was worried that by doing such things might alert the Genjutsu user, before she realised that Academy students were required to practice such things anyway, so it wasn't unusual at all.

Another day passed and Sakura told her mother that she wasn't going to school again, but the more she said this, the more Nanako was getting frustrated that she was just skipping school now, and was growing more fervent in her approach about the topic.

All her anger was doing was confirming Sakura's thoughts that it was an illusion, but on the fifth day, she had a subtle change of heart when she saw her mother crying in her father's arms in their bedroom. Through the door Sakura heard her weak sobs and exclamations of worry for their daughter, how she seemed to be losing interest in being a kunoichi by not going to school, and how it was growing harder to convince Iruka that she was alright and to just outright talk to her.

Sakura was frustrated that night. She was unable to complete her meditation and instead spent the time lying on her bed, staring up at the hypnotic spinning fan. Whoever cast the Genjutsu was cruel. She always did have a weak spot for tears, and always she felt herself compelled to do something to make them stop.

Even if it hurt her.

She groaned and flipped onto her stomach. _What would I be sacrificing by going to the Academy? Everyone's abilities for one. For two… walking into their hands. Unless… I'm so confused. I stayed at home and hoped that they would believe I knew nothing, but Mum… was just too realistic. _

Too realistic that Sakura found herself walking downstairs the next morning prepared for school, wearing the same red dress she remembered she always wore and her hair in a low ponytail, off her shoulders. Nanako had almost dropped her bowl of rice on the floor in surprise and stared at Sakura for a second before setting aside the food and hugging her.

The rosette felt lost in the embrace.

It was warm and inviting and was so much like her mother's hugs (her vanilla scent and all) that Sakura found herself responding slightly to the embrace, hooking her chin over her mother's shoulder. She had closed her eyes for a second before she realised what she was doing and tensed her body. Nanako got the hint and pulled back, but she didn't seem to care as there was a huge smile on her face that Sakura wondered if she was related to Naruto somehow.

"Morning, my girl," she whispered, her thin laughter lines webbing from the corner of her eyes.

"Morning," Sakura mumbled. Her stomach growled and she coughed awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Nanako laughed heartily and like a giddy school girl ran back into the kitchen and procured breakfast. Sakura ate slowly, watching her mother closely sitting opposite her.

Then it was time for the Academy.

Belatedly, Sakura realised, as she was already well on her way to the building, she would be seeing everyone again but as twelve years old. The people she hated, the people she loved, the people who died and the people who lived. They were all going to be in that small room, hardly aware of the direction their life would go years – even months – later.

This was the most daunting thought, and she had to go through it again if she didn't find a way out soon.

* * *

><p>It was picture perfect.<p>

The front door was the same old brown, slightly chipped and worn but still just fine. She remembered that when the Academy was rebuilt in her time, everything was new and shiny, but this was exactly how she remembered it. She spent a good five minutes standing outside the tall building, just reminiscing over things she never experienced in there – and everything she'd experience again.

The swing was still there, the rope fraying and stretched, going mouldy in some areas where the rain had soaked it. The wooden plank swayed slightly in the passing wind, rustling the trees and their over-reaching shadows, creating an eerie creaking sound that sent a chill up Sakura's spine.

In just a few weeks, she knew she'd be standing out there again, celebrating the fact that she had become a genin. In a few weeks she'd see Naruto sitti—_No!_ she screamed, tearing her sight from the aging swing and sprinting into the Academy.

Students were flushing in and out of their designated rooms, chatting wildly to their friends as she passed by them in. She found her classroom further down the hall, the door still open. She held in a breath without knowing as she walked into the room, and memories quickly flooded her as her eyes took in all her friends, but much younger. Hinata was sitting near the back on the left, across the escalating walk way, her cheeks a slight chubbier or fuller than Sakura was used to. She was definitely baby-faced, but it attributed to her charm.

Kiba, the scowling boy arguing with Kousuke Minamo, looked as though he hadn't changed. His grey hoodie was drawn over his head, with a miniature sized Akamaru perched on top, his paws dangling over Kiba's eyes. Sakura was startled for a moment when she spied the canine, as she was completely used to seeing the giant one who would let her ride on his back. At the same time, a black feeling coated her insides and she looked away from the Inuzuka, just as the memories of his death shot through her mind.

Shino was sitting next to Shikamaru at the back right corner, the latter staring out the window to see the fluffy clouds in the sky. They hadn't changed much, and neither had Chouji sitting in front of them, stuffing his face with his favourite flavoured chips in his hands.

Memories of their future lives flittered through her mind like butterflies. Some turned black and white, signalling death, and others remained coloured, meaning life. It churned her stomach, making it more difficult to walk up to a spare seat somewhere in the middle.

Sakura's eyes roamed the classroom as she sat down, taking in the sights of all the other students who never made it to genin at the same time they did. She didn't know what became of most of them, but she recognised a few as people she had worked with and fought with in the war.

And then _he_ walked in.

Sasuke Uchiha.

The rosette instantly looked away as the prodigy entered and strolled to his seat, the girls of the class already swarming behind him like a stream of smoke. From the brief glimpse she has seen of him, he looked so… young!

Sakura rolled her eyes.

They all looked very young, but he was most noticeable. Maybe it was because her feelings for him had veered towards the negative side of the scale a little more, or because she had seen his insane and bloodthirsty face one too many times, but whatever the reason, he looked so different; and clueless. He had no idea what was going to happen in his future. She knew what he was hoping, but the rest he had no clue.

_Would the person who cast this Genjutsu expect me to talk to him?_ She frowned_. I have no intention of doing that; or speaking to any of them. I have to be prepared for anything and anyone. _

"Good morning, Sakura!" a strong voice bellowed. All heads in the room swivelled to see Naruto Uzumaki stepping into the classroom and waving jovially at the rosette. He was scratching the back of his head and chuckling nervously, like he always had done when interacting with her at this age.

It was weird seeing him again. The last time she had seen such a huge smile on his face like that was before the war; before the Kage's decided to send him away to be train by Bee. It was when she was wishing him good ni—_Not again_, she said, stopping herself. The memory was still too painful… what he did… what happened.

She just stared at him as he awkwardly lowered his hand. At the same time Ino came through the door and whacked him over the head, creating a few chuckles about the room. Sakura could hear her yelling from all the way at the back.

"Naruto! First you crash into me on the way here, then you stand in my way!" Ino shouted in his cringing face. Sakura felt a nick of guilt at seeing this. "Move it!" She hip-nudged him out of the way and sauntered her way up the steps, but not before glancing Sasuke's direction.

Ino… she looked exactly the same, and acted the same – as a twelve year old, of course. The Ino she knew well had become sort of like a sister, but there was still that underlying rivalry that would never go away; it was there to stay. She was a different kunoichi after the war. She still had a vibrant personality that some would consider bossy, but she always meant good. What changed was that her specialty started to excel in seduction. She used her ability to capture the minds of the men she had to be prepared to bed, and then use them to find out any information her mission required.

Despite the previous all-country-alliance, she could be found in the bingo books.

Sakura stared too long at the blonde, and was too late to look away when she glanced in her direction.

"Yo, Sakura! What are you doing over there?" the blonde asked, hand on her hip. "Sasuke's over _here_, you know."

She shrugged. Ino narrowed her eyes, looking a mite disappointed that she couldn't say anything back to silence. She opened her mouth but nothing came to mind, so she snapped it shut, her teeth clunking, and sat in her seat the row over from the Uchiha, glaring at Sakura the entire time.

Iruka walked in simultaneously, and quickly noticed the rosette, sitting amongst a group of students she hadn't normally conversed with. He paused for a second and settled his papers down on his desk before warmly greeting Sakura, with, "Welcome back, Sakura."

She nodded in acknowledgement, saying, "Good morning, Iruka-sensei," before crossing her arms over the other and resting them on the table, eyes whirring about the classroom.

During the entire lesson, her body was buzzing.


	3. Graduated Again

_I thank you for your reviews everyone! XD It helps to know that it isn't boring you. :P A special thanks to **Ichi-Stars** for leaving a long review for me, but since you were anonymous, I couldn't respond. :)_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER THREE—<br>**_Graduated Again_

* * *

><p>Over the following days Sakura committed herself to playing the part of a practicing genin. However, she failed to realise that she played her part poorly. She functioned on the idea that the person who put her in this Genjutsu did not know how she acted back then, so could not be apprehensive of the way she was behaving.<p>

She was suspicious of all those who spoke to her, especially if someone asked if she was alright. Her lips were sealed, but her attitude was turning plenty of heads. She just found it easier to survive the days – and then weeks – if she believed that they were all illusions.

Many of them noticed that Sakura Haruno had become oddly quiet since she had returned to school, and most of the students dismissed this as her own business; and, truthfully, a few just didn't care. Shikamaru and Shino had glanced once or twice at the rosette during class whenever Iruka asked a theory-based question which they knew she knew the answer for, but she sat still, staring in front of her, and occasionally acting just… odd.

They weren't the only ones. Iruka had his eye on her closely, noting that she was acting much like the Uchiha – maturity beyond their years – and even seemed suspicious. He noted that she was watching people closely, as though they were about to lash out at her.

Some other ninja throughout Konoha had witnessed the rosette walking about as though she was on guard or wary, but had dismissed it as part of being a teenager.

There was only one person who was truly wondering what Sakura Haruno was up to, and every lesson they'd look for the rosette to see what she was doing, how she was acting; how she was… different.

The more Sakura noticed people eying her with curiosity, the more she became guarded and paranoid. Very paranoid. She had in her mind that the end and passing of exams would somehow end this illusion, so she practiced hard, trying to act the part – though it proved to be much easier than she initially thought considering she was still getting the hang of tossing kunai and shuriken and harnessing chakra to perform the Clone Jutsu, but she was getting there – quite quickly, actually, because she retained her past knowledge.

Then Exam Day came.

Sakura's stomach was tight the entire way to the Academy, then in the loud line of pre-genin where she leaned against the wall silently, and then as students, one by one, left the room holding a headband, then when she finally stepped into the room where there was only Iruka and Mizuki-sensei.

Her sandals clopped against the polished wood and she gazed around the still classroom, before focusing on the many hitai-ate cushioned carefully on the desk.

For a brief second her sight wavered over the light-haired chuunin, and she vaguely remembered something about him betraying Konoha then being found as a prisoner a couple of months later. She didn't know his story, though.

"Hello, Sakura," Mizuki greeted with a smile. She nodded.

"Hello, Mizuki-sensei. Iruka-sensei," Sakura greeted, bowing slightly in respect. She gave them a cheerful smile to complete the look, and shuffled her feet to reflect anxiety that a student should show when faced with their final exam.

"How have you been, Sakura?" Iruka asked. He folded his hands and rested them on his notebook, regarding her carefully.

She shrugged, puffing up her bottom lip into an uncertain pout. "Not bad."

"Things are fine at home?"

Suspicion bubbled within her. _Where is he going with this?_

"Of course," she said, blinking innocently. "Why, Iruka-sensei?"

He smiled at her and glanced down at his notes. "Your grades are slightly lower than I thought they would be," he admitted. Sakura shifted in discomfort. "Mind you, these grades are formed by what we have seen during practical work; kunai and shuriken throwing, tai-jutsu, camouflage and so on. You seemed to be a little off these past two weeks, and dropped a little bit—but…" He paused, watching her, "…I have a feeling that when you get the hang of it, you will improve quite quickly afterwards."

She nodded.

"But, as usual, you excelled in the Theory Exam. Top marks," he commented lightly.

"Are you…" she started, a light tone of disbelief at what she heard, "…allowed to tell me that, Iruka-sensei?"

Mizuki chuckled, and he slapped Iruka's shoulders. "No. He's not."

_I see,_ Sakura thought. _So he was planning to get more from me?_

Her teacher had the decency to go slightly red at being caught, and he gestured for Sakura to perform the Clone Jutsu. She dealt the right signs and focused, feeling the chakra spiral throughout her body before a puff of smoke burst beside her. She smiled, looking to her side to see a clone grinning back at her.

"Good work," Iruka complimented distractedly, scribbling something down. Sakura watched him for a second before dispelling the jutsu.

Mizuki chuckled. "Let me say it for you, Sakura Haruno." He grinned good-naturedly. "You pass!"

Sakura sighed in relief and bowed at the waist, exclaiming, "Thank you!"

Adrenaline buzzed through her body as she graciously took the headband and stepped outside the classroom. There was still loud murmuring, and several of the students from her class had congratulated her for passing, with Naruto's voice the most prominent.

The hitai-ate tingled in her grasp as she walked outside the Academy, passing other students from the other classes who were watching through their windows and gazing down at the signature item of a recently initiated ninja in awe. Outside was filled with students and their parents, that it was almost as loud as it was inside.

She didn't know when, but she hoped that now that she had her headband the illusion would break. Maybe it would only end when she went to sleep that night? It made sense, and so she greeted her parents with real excitement – for the first time. She was excited to get home, to get out of the madness she was stuck in.

They didn't seem to care as they swept her into a hug sandwich, congratulating her and promising her her favourite meals and the like for doing so well. The idea didn't seem too bad, and Sakura realised that even though it was a Genjutsu, it was good to see her parents again after so long.

Her father had died of a heart attack when he was in their Pottery store when Sakura was fourteen; he was gone in seconds; there was nothing she could do. Her mother hadn't died, but Sakura had moved out and was busy with her responsibilities at the hospital and missions that she didn't get to see her much anyway.

The life of a ninja.

And her parents had approved.

That night Sakura went to sleep, her body tingled with the impending idea that she might finally fall out of the Genjutsu. Logic told her that it wouldn't work that easy, but she had grown desperate, and was willing to believe it.

Hoping.

Hoping with all her mind and heart.

She hated this place – a good idea for an illusion, in that case. She wanted to go home, even if it was shrouded in grief.

And so she hoped.

* * *

><p>Thin lashes quivered as eyelids slowly slid back to reveal bright hues of green. Sakura blinked, pausing in her bed, before suddenly springing up from it and frantically looking about her room. It was the same. The curtains were still a light pink, her vanity filled with her brush and lotions and creams – and her headband.<p>

She felt fear slip onto her face as she grabbed at her full pink locks and felt them going down to her breasts. She poked and prodded her skin, pinching, breathing harshly, before curling her fingers into the tiger sign and whispering, 'Kai!' She waited before she opened her eyes again, and when she did, she felt all feeling melt away as she collapsed back into bed.

Dull green eyes stared up at the spinning fan. She swallowed thickly, feeling tears pricking at her eyes as she licked her dry lips.

_I thought—I thought… oh God._ She pressed the heel of her hands against her eyes, her stomach shuddering to hold back the sobs._ I relied too much on that hope and now—and now…—fuck _you_ whoever you are!_

Her insides ached, her lungs burning, but eventually the pain went away, and when it did, Sakura laid still. She didn't know what to do. Her hope was smashed into a million pieces, and as much as she didn't want to admit it, she had to continue on with this masquerade.

_But now it gets harder. My team will consist of three of the most well-known people in Konoha's history. How am I supposed to hide that information about them?_

"Sakura! Wake up! Aren't you getting assigned to your team today?" she heard her mother shout from downstairs, her voice muffled through the doors and walls.

The rosette lifted herself from her bed and stared at her hitai-ate across from her.

_Let's do this one step at a time. _

She grabbed it.

* * *

><p>Sakura arrived at her usual time, entering a classroom that was so much louder than usual. Everyone was just excited that they had reached that far, and as she walked up the staircase for a seat at the back. Like always, she sat down without looking at any of the future Rookie 9, not wanting to get pulled back into the memories that both pained and amused her.<p>

Shikamaru glanced at her; Sakura looked in the other direction. Hinata sent her a weak smile, and Sakura sent another one back before staring fixatedly down the front – where Ino was staring accusingly at her.

_For Pete's sake! Can't I look in some place without having someone else staring at me? Wait… _she curled her fingers under palms. _Does that mean they're on to me?_

She was thankful when Ino directed her attention elsewhere, such as on Naruto who was right in Sasuke's face. Sakura leaned against her hand, elbow skin stretching slightly over the table at the angle, watching the scene fold out. It looked familiar.

Until they kissed.

_Oh. Right._

She rolled her eyes and looked away, smothering her face with her hand. That was something she just did not want to see, and her stomach contents gurgled uncomfortably as she remembered, once again, the things she did not want.

Sakura knew she was going to see them soon – very soon – so she didn't want to see any more of them than she inevitably had to.

She cringed when she heard Naruto pleading not to be hit and when the sounds of knuckles hit skin. She was ever so thankful when Iruka entered the classroom, scattering all the students back to their seats. A girl accidentally kneed her as she walked behind her to the seat further down the row and apologised distractedly.

It was a blur. Sakura watched Iruka-sensei's lips move but she found herself having trouble listening in. She vaguely noticed when the team's were being read out, until eventually the number 7 rang a gong in her mind, and she jerked to attention.

Naruto's name was called. He sat rigidly in his seat beside Sasuke, eyes wide and his feet shifting in impatience.

Then hers was. Whispers spread, smothered momentarily by Naruto's cheering, but Sakura didn't pay attention to them. She did, however, notice Ino peering at her over her shoulder, thin eyebrows drawn firmly inwards into a scathing frown.

And then _his._ Several girls burst into loud protests, and quite a few males in the class groaned loudly in relief.

Iruka had moved on quickly to Team 8 to silence the peeved females, and then Team 9 and Team 10. Sakura saw Ino glare at Shikamaru on the other side of the room, to which the lazy boy pathetically shrugged his shoulders.

"You will be meeting your new Sensei after the lunch," Iruka told the class. In other words, an early break. Students filed out quickly, eager for what came next; but they didn't leave without some grumblings about their new teams.

Sakura left quietly, ignoring Ino's following gaze and Naruto's calls. She sat outside in the shade against the wall of the Academy boundaries, thinking. Everything had played out almost perfectly so far, line for line – from what she could remember – and about the only things that were different was how people reacted around her and _to_ her.

She wondered about this, and felt a surge of fear creep up her throat as the fleeting possibility of time travel surfaced in her mind. What were the chances? The possibilities? But Denial quenched this positively disturbing thought, and she felt better, stronger, to get up from her spot an hour later and walk into the Academy.

The halls were filled with muffled chattering from the closed classrooms. She passed a few of the new teams on her way until she entered the semi-filled room that was her class. There were eight people in there; two full teams and half of her team waiting for their new sensei.

"Hi, Sakura!" Naruto called, waving enthusiastically.

He was walking about the room in impatience, sending burning glares in the Uchiha's direction every once and a while. The others in the room murmured some greetings as well, but five minutes later, both of the other teams had left, and she was left alone with them.

Sakura slunk in her seat near the door, tapping her fingers on the tables' surface. She could spy Naruto watching her from where he sat cross-legged on the floor, and Sasuke brooding a little further down from her.

"This is boring!" Naruto complained, shuffling his locks. "Everybody else has gone! Where's our new sensei anyway? He's late!"

"He's coming," Sasuke said.

Sakura felt chills roll over her shoulders at his voice, and buried her nose under her arms. She breathed quietly, focusing on only that. _It feels like I have a stone stuck in my stomach_, she mused.

"I know that, _Sasuke_," the blond growled. Ten minutes later and he stood up again, pacing in front of the closed sliding door. "Where is he?"

"How do you know he's a 'he'?" Sakura murmured, eyes closed.

Naruto grumbled, "Well, it could be a she, but my gut tells me it's a guy! And as soon as he shows his ugly mug, I'm going to give it to him!"

He punched the air, then kicked it, performing a round-house kick that knocked him off balance and caused him to crash into the blackboard. The duster fell off onto his head, creating a tiny explosion of white dust that rained down around him.

Sasuke rolled his eyes but Sakura had missed it, only opening her eyes when Naruto started chuckling evilly. She watched the blond through lidded eyes to see him opening the door slightly and tucking the duster in between that and the frame, high above the floor.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked monotonously.

He chuckled again. "Serves him right for making us wait. As soon as he opens the door, he'll get the same thing I did!" And he pointed at the white patch on his blond hair.

The Uchiha tsk'ed and shook his head, leaning back in his seat. "He's a Jounin, stupid. There's no way he'd fall for that."

"Sometimes the more stupid an idea is, the more likely it would pull through," Sakura remarked, nestling her nose back into the crook of her arm.

"Must be how I got you two as teammates," the Uchiha retorted.

Sakura frowned, turning her head over so that she was resting her other ear on her arms. She was about to shoot back with something before she realised she was fighting with a Genjutsu, and who knows what could happen if she let something slip. It was bad enough that the Genjutsu was going to get a first-hand account of her team in action; not that they were fantastic to begin with.

_If I leave now, and… then what? I'd have to face them sooner than later._

"Don't listen to him, Sakura!" Naruto defended, pointing an accusing finger at the stoic Uchiha. "He's just jealous that you're a better ninja than he is!"

He scoffed. "I saw her during prac time. It's pathetic."

Naruto growled. "Everyone has their off days, Sasuke!"

"A ninja can't afford to have their off days, loser," he replied back bitingly. "That's what get's them killed."

"So does that 'I'm-better-than-thou' attitude," Sakura lightly commented, inspecting her nails.

Before Sasuke had the chance to respond, the door slid open and a silver head peeked through. Naruto watched with wide eyes as the duster fell and crashed on the Jounin's head, a puff of dust floating down about him. The blond burst out laughing and the newcomer paused.

_Kakashi,_ Sakura sighed. _Still the same, but… that was what exactly happened last time, too._ She narrowed her eyes without realising. _What's going on here?_

"Did you see that?" Naruto chortled, clutching his stomach as though it was about to fall out. "He fell for it!"

Sasuke sat back down in his seat in disbelief, staring at the silver-haired Jounin in well-hidden shock.

The man sighed as he ruffled his hair and dislodged some of the chalk particles. "Well, my first impression of all of you…" He clapped off his navy-gloves that were partially stained white, "…is that you're a bunch of idiots."

* * *

><p>"Alrighty!" Kakashi clapped his hands and leaned against the steel railing, crossing his arms. Sakura assumed he was giving the three of his precious genin a smug grin, but she wasn't sure. "Let's get to know each other, shall we?"<p>

Sakura perked, eyes wide. _Getting to know each other? Great. Greatgreatgreat!_ "Err… Sensei… do we have to?"

He peered down at her, his silver hair flopping further over his hidden eye. He then smiled, noticeable by the way the skin around his eyes creased. "Have you got something to hide?"

She blushed more out of anger than embarrassment. "No," she huffed. "I just… nevermind."

"A little shy?" he queried, and Sakura felt it was best just to nod.

"What are you talking about, Sakura?" Naruto shouted. "You were perfectly fine a few weeks ago! See, I even still have the bruise from where you hit me." He pulled up his sleeve to brandish the black and blue skin on his upper arm. "See, see?"

The Jounin tilted his head. "Can pack quite a punch, can you?" he asked, directing his question to the rosette. She nodded again. "And mood swings! From violent to shy; oh boy!" He scratched the back of his head casually.

Naruto waved his hands in front of him repeatedly. "Nononono, don't say that. She might hit you," he warned, chuckling nervously. Kakashi raised an eyebrow; the only visible one.

"Sit down, Naruto," Sakura said, smiling in amusement at the two. "I'm not going to hit anybody." Naruto blinked in confusion before slowly lowering himself back to the ground, sighing in relief. "Unless I'm further provoked." His breath hitched.

The rosette turned away and let herself smile a little wider. It felt so good to act natural around them, but this feeling was fleeting as fear enveloped her. Naruto had just blown the guise that she had worked with to fool the Genjutsu user. Who knew what could happen because of that?

"Now, let's get started. Name, hobbies, like and dislikes, dreams," Kakashi said, crossing his arms.

Naruto stared at him through thin eyes, leaning further into his squat as he scrutinised the older man. "Why don't you go first?"

He sighed largely, shoulders heaving. "Alright. My name is Kakashi Hatake. I don't feel like telling you about my likes and dislikes. As for any dreams I might have… hmm… Well, I have lots of hobbies."

Sakura hung her head in exasperation and Sasuke merely stared at the Jounin. Naruto grumbled, "All we learned was his name."

"Right. Now you guys," Kakashi put forth, gesturing for Naruto to begin.

"Me? Hehheh. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and what I like – wait, no, _love_! – is the ramen that Iruka-sensei buys me from Ichiraku Ramen. I like Cup ramen too, but that just doesn't defeat the ramen the old man at Ichiraku makes."

Kakashi crossed his legs at his ankles.

"What I hate is the three minutes it takes to cook Cup ramen, and my dream is to become the greatest Hokage Konoha has ever seen, and get my existence acknowledged!" He nodded indefinitely, looking positively proud of his goal. "My hobbies… err… pranks, I suppose."

Kakashi waited for a few more seconds just to see if the boy was truly finished, and when he understood that the squiggling Naruto was just doing that out of excitement, he gestured to Sasuke in the centre. Sakura concentrated on the trail of ants marching by her feet.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are a lot of things I don't like, and barely anything I do like. I have no real hobbies besides training, and what I have is not a dream, but an ambition." He started generating bad vibes, making Naruto inch a little to the other side and Sakura's hair stand on end. "I'm going to resurrect my clan, and kill a certain man."

Kakashi nodded, glancing at the shivering Naruto next to the Uchiha and growing slightly amused by the fear etched onto his face. He peered at Sakura, who was rubbing her arms to flatten the erect hairs on her skin. "Now, you; 'violent but shy'."

She moaned, "Hn."

Naruto sprouted from his spot and pointed at the rosette, screaming, "Oh my God! Have you been secretly meeting Sasuke behind my back?" He shifted his finger to the Uchiha. "Look what's happened! You're turning her into an Uchiha!"

"Shut it, loser. We hardly know each other," Sasuke retorted, glaring at the standing genin. He went ignored.

"Come on, Sakura! You can be honest with me! Have you been seeing Sasuke behind my back?" Naruto begged.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "No," she drew out.

Naruto collapsed into his spot in relief. "Phew."

Kakashi gestured to Sakura again, and she engulfed her bottom lip before exhaling.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. I like laughing and helping people; which includes Mum and Dad at the Pottery Store. I dislike… people who betray others trust." She grinned goofily. "And when Mum burns dinner." She curled her toes, only half aware of what she was saying. "My dream is to be the best ninja I can be. And my hobbies… I train."

She swore someone made a derisive snort.

"Well, it seems we all have quite interesting personalities," Kakashi mused, hand on chin in thought. He held up a finger. "Now comes the rest of your duties."

Naruto perked. "Duties? Seriously! Yes!" He punched the air. "What sort of duties do we have, Sensei? What, huh?"

"A survival exercise," he stated simply.

"A sur—what?"

"A survival exercise," Kakashi repeated. He bent over, eyeing both Sakura and Sasuke. "You two don't look so surprised by this."

Sasuke dropped his laced fingers slightly, so that his face could be seen easier. "A ninja shouldn't show that he was caught off guard."

"True," Kakashi said, crossing his legs at the ankles again and leaning back against the railing. "Unless you want to throw them off guard by making them believing you were caught unawares." Sasuke seemed to accept this.

"A mask; or an illusion," Sakura recalled. "You'd be good at that, right, Kakashi-sensei?"

He chuckled. "I have no idea what you mean," he lightly joked.

Naruto's loud groan broke the exchange of words, and all heads swivelled to him to see him gripping his head. "Stop confusing me," he complained. "What's this survival exercise, anyway?"

"It's just that, Naruto," Kakashi said simply. "You're fresh out of the Academy. Did you really think that they'd let newbies like you out without another test?" He chuckled in dry amusement.

The blonde dissolved into a massive pout. "What? You-You mean—"

"Yup." Kakashi nodded.

There was a moment of silence where that little fact was sinking in; longer for some. Sasuke was the first to speak. "How many can pass this next test? Are we all going through the same one?"

Kakashi thought, tilting his head back to stare at the sky. "No. Each jounin created their own way to test their new team. Only nine can pass."

"What?" Sakura swore Naruto's scream could be heard from all the way in Suna. "But-but-butbutbut what about the exams we did in class? Do you know how hard it was for me to ace them?"

Sasuke scoffed. "I'm surprised you even managed to get a hitai-ate, loser."

Naruto growled at the dark-haired boy, clenching his fist. "Why you—!"

"Those exams were to test who had the chance of becoming genin," Kakashi cut in before a fight could start. "It's a survival exercise, Naruto. Meet me tomorrow at Training Ground 7 at five o'clock." He pushed himself off the railing and stretched. "Oh, and don't eat anything. You'll puke."

_He said that last time._ Sakura watched him intently as he glanced at all three of them. _His words were slightly different, I'm sure of it, but no one could have possibly known about what sort of final exam we had to take. _

_No one._

_Just what the hell is going on?_


	4. The Test

—**CHAPTER FOUR—  
><strong>_The Test_

* * *

><p>Anxiety.<p>

Oh boy, Sakura was nervous, and she hated it. What she was nervous about… well, she was still trying to figure that out.

She had a dream last night – or a nightmare, really – which detailed the war that had been over for nearly four years. It aggravated her, because it brought back unwanted memories and emotions that were better left forgotten. She had woken up restless, and nervous, her stomach in a knot. It was like her own body was telling her to be aware of something, and it was driving her mad.

The food she ate that morning gave her lots of trouble because it didn't like the idea of settling down in her stomach. She ate only a little, despite knowing that she'd need her strength for the Bell test, as she didn't think it would stay down at all after a while moving.

_Maybe it's because I'm beginning to doubt this is a Genjutsu,_ she thought, her footsteps slow and casual as she made her way to the training grounds.

Her long pink hair was twisted into a messy bun at the base of her neck, and her bag was slung around her shoulder and resting against her thigh, weighed down by the collection of shuriken and kunai. She sighed heavily. _Bringing a bag was a stupid thing to do._

She arrived ten minutes later to see both Sasuke and Naruto sitting across from each other, the latter on his back rubbing his stomach and complaining. "Hi, Sakura," he responded weakly, lifting a hand and waving it. He tried to smile. "You're late."

The rosette dropped her bag on the grass and collapsed next to it. "You don't look too well, Naruto."

He tried to laugh but it came out as a groan. "So hungry! This better be worth it." He whined, crunching up his legs and dropping to his side. "Or I'm going to kill him."

She didn't respond, but she did hear a tiny growl coming from the other boy next to her. She stared at Sasuke until he looked at her, narrowing his eyes. Sakura cleared her throat and looked away, crossing her legs as she nestled on the grass.

"You're late, Sakura," Sasuke told her.

"I know."

"He said to meet at five. It is now six thirty."

"I know."

Sasuke stopped then, glaring at the pinkette who seemed impenetrable to it.

"He's late!" Naruto shouted. "Again!"

Ten more minutes passed and in that time Naruto had fallen asleep, using his backpack as a pillow. Sasuke had migrated to a nearby tree as the morning sun's rays started to peek over the canopy of tall, lined trees. Sakura had copied Naruto, but wasn't asleep. For once she wished the blond would wake up. So much time staying by herself and thinking was now just scaring her.

Her thoughts would always tangent towards the idea of time travel, and each time she felt herself falling to this side, she returned to reality with a shake of her head and the impenetrable determination to not believe it.

But she was wearing down.

At last Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke, effectively scaring the daylights out of Naruto who made a sound like he was choking before scrambling to his feet.

"I was awake! Yup!" He stretched and put his hands behind his head. "Ahh, awake the whole time."

Kakashi stared at him for a pointed second before saying, "Good morning, my cute students."

Only then Naruto was awake enough to point and shout, "You're late, Kakashi-sensei!"

"No, I'm not. You're just early," he stated.

Sakura watched Sasuke drop his head back against the trunk of the tree in exasperation, before grabbing his bag and sauntering over to the rest of the group. Sakura followed his actions, rising to a stand and slipping some extra kunai and shuriken into the folds of her clothes. Kakashi set a timer down by three stumps and tapped the top.

"It's set for noon." Jingling sounds caught the genin's attention, and Kakashi procured two bells. "You have to get these bells before noon," he explained, tying them to his waist. "Those who do not, do not get lunch, and have to watch me eat in front of them."

Naruto gaped, his jaw lowering considerably. "But-But—that-that-that's why we didn't have…?" He dropped his head and groaned out loud. "Dammit! How can I fight on an empty stomach?"

Sakura crossed her arms and leaned on one foot_. Kakashi's a dick even in this Genjutsu_. Her eyes narrowed. _Again, not everyone knew about this test._

"Slick," Sasuke uttered, frowning.

"There are two bells, so one of you is bound to get tied to the stump, and that person fails and goes back to the Academy, as well," Kakashi said matter-of-factly. He ignored his cute genin's expressions. "Now, if you want my advice, use your kunai and shuriken, and come at me to kill."

Sakura shifted her feet, slightly flinching when Kakashi's eyes darted in her direction. _He said that last time, too. How is this Genjutsu getting almost everything perfect?_

Naruto snorted and crossed his arms, confidence flooding him a little too much. "Can't be that hard. I mean, if you can't even dodge a black board eraser than I can surely defeat you."

"Says the one who crashed into the black board," Sasuke muttered.

The blond's reaction was immediate, but his chance to retort back at the snotty Uchiha was interrupted by their teacher. Sakura had no idea what was going through Naruto's head at that moment, but his face was scrunched up so bad that the thought traipsing through his mind couldn't have been good.

"Start when I say—"

Naruto had flipped out a kunai before Kakashi could finish his sentence, and was already on his way to burying the weapon into the Jounin's skin. He was quickly thwarted. His blade was used against him; his arm was bent back, his kunai pointed menacingly at his exposed neck, and a gloved hand was nestled firmly over his head.

Sakura had jumped a pace back in reflex along with Sasuke, despite the fact that she had a feeling it was going to happen. Everything, so far, all the events, had been spot on. Peering past Naruto and Kakashi, Sakura could see a smirk develop on Sasuke's lips, a sure sign that he approved that their sensei was indeed a jounin ninja; one of the best.

_If only he knew how strong Kakashi actually is,_ Sakura thought.

"I don't believe I said 'Start' yet," Kakashi remarked. Naruto growled angrily, trying to rip his arms from the silver-head's grip, but it was only when Kakashi let him did the blond spring back from him and glare. "So impatient."

"And you just got lucky!"

Kakashi ran a hand through his sagging hair. "Alright." He sent both Sakura and Sasuke a look. "Are you two ready?" The Uchiha shifted his feet back, ready to begin, and Sakura gave him a hesitant nod. "Start!"

The three genin disappeared, leaves of bushes and trees rustling as their bodies brushed them in their haste. Kakashi scouted about, hands in his pockets, musing that they hid pretty well considering they were genin. It was then that his eye stopped on Naruto Uzumaki, standing triumphantly several feet from him, his arms crossed.

"You and me! Right now!" he shouted.

Sakura tensed her body as those words rang in her ears. Her brow was raised in disbelief – and had been since Kakashi had been explaining the rules – and her eyes were slightly enlarged as she peered through the tiny hole in the bushes to see the grassy clearing below. Her fingers pressed firmly into the soft dirt to keep her balance, and from there she watched as Kakashi put his hand further into his pockets suspiciously and whipped out an orange book.

Naruto's retaliation was spot on, word for word from what she could remember, and each time a sentence was copied she'd feel the hammering in her chest grow louder and harder. It felt like her body was running a fever she couldn't control.

"Taijutsu," she mimed as Kakashi and Naruto burst into action. Every action was perfect, all of Naruto's tricks and Kakashi's defences – even the 'Thousand Years of Pain' was exact. Except, about now, she recalled that she had yelled out Naruto's name in fear, and this time she completely forgot about it.

What would this do?

Her pulse ran faster when she let her eyes fall from where Naruto had disappeared into the canopy not far away, and set them on Kakashi. He was looking in her direction.

Sakura panicked, and she slid back from the bush along the ground until she felt her foot touch a trunk of a tree. _Silence,_ she thought, remaining crouched as she sprinted through the woods, jumping and skipping over twigs and leaves.

_Wait!_ Sakura skidded to a halt, the blood in her veins prickling when she figured she might have been too loud, but a thought had consumed her. _At this time, Kakashi cast a Genjutsu on me. _She crouched again and looked around, keeping her breathing even. _ Only Sharingan users can cast an illusion within an illusion. The Genjutsu shouldn't work._

"S-Sakura," a pained, broken voice met her ears.

Her breath hitched, eyes wide, blood seemingly frozen. She heard the snap of a twig and laboured breathing before she turned around and saw a flash of black from around the tree. Then Sasuke collapsed, blood dripping like a tap not properly turned off, his hair matted with grime. Kunai and shuriken were embedded in his pale skin, his clothes torn and coated in blood.

"Sa-kura," he groaned. He looked up at her through stringy black bangs, his dark eyes heavy and lidded, life about to leave them. "Help me… please."

She couldn't breathe.

_This isn't possible. It shouldn't have worked! Only Sharingan users can do this, and Kakashi would never do this to me!_ She stumbled back a few paces, her mouth open, fresh tears leaking from her eyes. Her foot knocked against an uprooted branch and Sakura fell, the very little air still left in her lungs getting pushed out of her.

Her vision blurred as she closed her mouth, her teeth clinking. _And what's worse… no one – _no one_ – could have possibly known about what I had seen in this Genjutsu. _

She reached a new hysteria right then as she ignored the bleeding Sasuke in front of her and frantically looked around.

_This is real. This is real! It can't be real! How did—it's not—how the hell did I end up like this? _

Blood rushed to her head like a wave, and before she knew it, she fainted.

* * *

><p>Sakura woke up many minutes later, feeling as though she had been drugged. Her brain hurt and she had difficulty moving her arms and pushing herself up from the ground. Grass and twigs stuck to her clothes and she numbly brushed them off.<p>

There she sat for a length of time, trying to sort out the surging amount of thoughts clambering for attention in her mind. Her hands gripped her head tightly, brain throbbing, fingers digging into her skull. It hurt trying to understand what she had just found out.

Only she and Kakashi ever knew what he made her see in that Genjutsu the first time it was done. The person who she thought cast this entire illusion on her couldn't possibly have known, and besides, they wouldn't have been able to put another illusion on top of the original unless they had the Sharingan. There was only one person back in her time that had the Sharingan, all the rest were dead, and there was no way Kakashi would endanger her like that for no reason.

So no matter how much she had tried to deny the thought, there was no other explanation. It made sense with everything she had seen; people looking at her weirdly, the exact lines and scenarios, how she looked, the pain she felt during training, everything.

Only a small amount of denial told her that it was a Genjutsu still now, but Sakura knew it would always be that way.

She whimpered, tears dripping from her cheeks as slowly she allowed herself to believe that, yes, she had gone back in time somehow, but the question that remained was: how? Her body quivered like a leaf, shaking more violently as a wind passed by.

"Sakura?"

She jolted, head snapping up. Kakashi was standing in the very place 'Sasuke' had been bleeding in before. A slightly sad emotion could be seen in his single, visible eye, and slowly he approached the rosette with evenly spaced footsteps. She felt small, insignificant… _alone_.

"Sakura? You right, there?" he asked.

Pursing her lips, the rosette forced herself to her week feet, refusing his hand to help, and smiled a wet smile at him. "Yeah, I'm fine." She fake-giggled, brushing off any grass that stuck to her clothes. "You really got me with that one, Kakashi-sensei."

He eyed her, but she was too busy wiping the tears away from her eyes. She also felt stupid. Now she knew why everyone was looking at her like she was a spy or weird or something. She had been acting rather cold to everyone, and unresponsive during class.

It all made sense. And even though she was more inclined to believe the ludicrous idea that she was back in time, Sakura had never felt more scared and alone than she did now.

Kakashi chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Shinobi Tactic Number 2—"

"Genjutsu," she answered instead. "I know. I know, I just—" She groaned and shook her head. "Kakashi-sensei…"

"Hm?"

"Why did you come and find me?"

He patted her shoulder comfortingly. "The bell went off five minutes ago."

She stared up at him, eyes wide. "Already?" she whispered. Her heart started to hammer again.

"Yup. Come on."

The walk back to the three logs was very slowly for Sakura. Her feelings created conflict in her body, prodding and nudging her brain to believe just something. She felt ready to collapse again, and almost did so as she sat on the other side of the tied up Naruto, who was frantically screaming his worry in her ears.

"Shut up, Naruto," Sasuke ordered, massaging his temple. "I've had to listen to you drone on about Sakura for the past ten minutes. Be. _Quiet_."

The blond snapped his jaw closed and sent a scathing glare in the Uchiha's direction, his fingers twitched to give the prodigy a piece of his mind, but being tied up… sort of stopped all this. Kakashi cleared his throat, earning their attention – and Sakura's half-hearted, dazed one.

"Well, you guys certainly look hungry," he remarked after hearing a deadly growl of stomachs. Naruto was staring lovingly at the large bento box right below his feet. "But about the training exercise… you guys don't have to worry about going back to the Academy."

Naruto and Sasuke visibly perked at this, but Sakura felt herself going paler. She remembered this.

"Yup!" Kakashi presumably grinned behind his mask before his features suddenly darkened. "You guys should just quit as ninja."

A pause.

"What?" Naruto screamed, kicking his legs ferociously. "Are you kidding me? Ok, I know none of us got the bells but why should we quit as ninja?"

"Because you're all punks who don't deserve to be ninja," he stated calmly. His eyes were trained on Sasuke, who looked as though he was considering an attempt to attack the Jounin, but a resigned expression slid over the Uchiha's face and he sat back, his body still tense. Kakashi continued. "None of you understand one of the fundamental basics of what it means to be a ninja."

Dazed, Sakura whispered, "Teamwork." Memories of this event flittered through her mind.

Kakashi paused for a second – having heard this – before continuing. "Teamwork. Did any of you even think about why you are put on three-man squads? Did you? _This_ is the reason." He shifted his gaze to Sasuke. "You thought you were so much better than everyone else and that they would get in your way, so you tried to do everything by yourself. Naruto." The blond swallowed nervously. "You were just running around by yourself, and not even bothering to conceal yourself and your intentions. And Sakura. You were more concerned with where Sasuke was, and didn't bother to aid Naruto who was closer to you."

Dull green eyes floated up to meet Kakashi's eye. She felt heavy, her eyesight weighty, but she knew by looking at him that that wasn't what he truly thought. It was a cover.

"You use your individual strengths to bring out the best of each of you and cover your teammate's weaknesses. None of you did this. You didn't even look at each other, or spoke to each other once. This is not a good trait for a ninja. Communication and understanding is vital to create a good, flowing team."

He turned to them and approached a white-grey stone. His fingers grazed across the smooth top, the stone bitingly cold at the initial touch.

"Of course, there are times when you will have to make life or death decisions." He half faced them. "Imagine a scenario that I had captured Sasuke and set down a deal; Sakura, kill Naruto or Sasuke dies." Naruto froze, side-glancing at the down rosette. "That's an example. You're going to risk your life every day.

"Look at this," he said, gesturing to the stone he was by. "This stone has numerous names engraved on it. These ninja were recognised as heroes by this village."

Dread plummeted in Sakura's heart when she remembered this scene.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto shouted. "I've decided that I want to get my name on that stone, too! A hero! Hero! That's what I want to become!"

Sakura peered up at Kakashi. He was still, his face downcast.

"These are special heroes," he said.

"Oh yeah? Then what kind of hero are they?" Naruto asked, wiggling about in his bonds.

Sakura dropped her head into the v of her knees, feeling a bitter coldness seep into her body. Memories flashed in her mind; what happened in the war, and what happened to end it. Unknowingly, tears started to dribble from her eyes and she fought against the burning ache in her throat.

She had seen Naruto only once during that war against Madara Uchiha. He was determined, and had rushed into the heat of the battle to find Sasuke. Just that glimpse of him was the last time Sakura had seen him alive, because the next time she did see him, he was dead.

She was told, or she heard, perhaps – she couldn't remember which – that he thought he had control of the Kyuubi's power, but it turned out he hadn't. The Nine-tailed fox tricked him and consumed in the middle of his battle with Sasuke. How ironic that both ex-teammates lost themselves to the power they had.

How ironic that it was Naruto Uzumaki who almost destroyed Konoha a second time.

After killing Sasuke, the Kyuubi went rampant throughout the country, and for four days lay everything to waste, until the Eight-tails stopped him. While the Kyuubi was stronger, the Hachibi managed to draw out Naruto's strong mind, but his wounds killed him almost instantly. And with no one to revive the Kyuubi, the Nine-tailed fox stayed within him.

Sakura had only heard this story through Kakashi, who had managed to hear Bee's final words, but not many people knew the truth.

The rumour hit Konoha, and other neighbouring towns, that Naruto had somehow sacrificed himself to stop the Kyuubi, and for that, he was revered as a hero, and had gotten his place on the memorial stone.

Ironically, the very memorial stone he once naively said he wanted to be on when he was twelve years old; the very memorial stone right in front of them.

Sakura felt cold. For the last month she had been trying to stop these memories from surfacing every time she saw Naruto, and now they were out, and she was a liability.

"They are people who were killed while doing their duty," Kakashi answered.

She heard Naruto's breath hitch and could imagine his expression without ever looking up.

"This is a memorial stone," Kakashi continued. "My best friend's name is on here. Along with… everyone I ever loved."

There was an eerie silence, where the temperature of the day seemed to have dropped several numbers. Even Sasuke seemed pretty moved by their sensei's admittance, and even though she could feel herself about to cry right then, she peered through the crook in her arm to see doubt flash across his face.

She felt as though her heart had stopped.

Doubt. Only she knew the importance of the doubt that had just crossed his mind. Doubt for his revenge; doubt for the fact that he wasn't the only one who had lost everything they cherished.

And this gave Sakura an inkling of hope; and an idea.

"I'm going to give you guys one more chance," Kakashi said, turning back to them and stuffing his hands into his pockets. He bent over to meet them closely, and continued with, "But I'll make it much tougher to get the bells. Sakura and Sasuke, you can have lunch, but don't give any to Naruto." The blond looked horrified. "Call it punishment for trying to sneak a bite before."

He had taken one or two steps away before he turned back, making Naruto flinch because he had stretched at his foot to slide a bento box to him.

"Oh, and if any of you feed him, you will all fail." He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke didn't hesitate to open one of the boxes, but Sakura stared at the last one left. She felt hungry, yes, but her body was so twisted up that she doubted she could stomach any food, no matter how delicious it looked. She glanced up at Naruto, who was gazing at the single lunch box with a dreamy expression, followed by a loud growl from his stomach.

Sakura sighed. "Naruto."

"Eh?" He lifted his head in surprise, and Sasuke paused in mid bite.

The rosette pushed the lunch box near him. "Have it," she said, without looking at him.

"Sakura, what are you—" Sasuke stopped himself as soon as he realised. He nodded to Naruto, and said, "Take it, loser."

"What?" the blond shouted. Sasuke hissed at him to shut up. "But we'll fail," he whispered hoarsely afterwards.

Sakura managed a weak smile, which made her stomach flip over. "I'm not feeling well."

"And we need the strength to even take him on," Sasuke explained. "Sakura, have some, too."

She shook her head, not looking him in the eye. "I can't. I'll throw it up."

"Sakura. Forget your diet and eat it."

Naruto chuckling broke the tension. "Uhh, guys? Hungry, here. Food, please." He smiled crookedly.

Sasuke stared expectantly at Sakura, who, despite not looking at him, knew what he was hinting and grabbed the box. Her hands were shaking the entire time, mainly because of what she now understood, but also because she knew Kakashi was about to burst in on them with dark clouds and sky hanging overhead.

Naruto was stretching his neck, his mouth open, but Sakura was taking forever to give him the food. "Sakura, feed him al—"

A loud explosion cut Sasuke off. Smoke smothered the field, dirt and grass and leaves tossing and whipping them in the face. Wind swirled like spinning water, tugging and tearing at their clothes. Naruto had yelped loudly, and Sasuke, caught off guard, automatically rest his fingers over his kunai pouch. Sakura had almost tossed the lunch box over her head in surprise, despite knowing that it was coming.

Kakashi emerged from the smoke looking as though he had transformed into an ugly demon, his eyes glinting maliciously as he sped towards them with an air that seemed like he wasn't going to hold back. But then he stopped, so suddenly that rogue clumps of dirt and grass hit Naruto in the face, making him cringe.

"You pass," he chirped, smiling behind his mask.

Sakura seemed to have melted at those two words, her heart thumping loudly on her ribcage. He had done the same thing last time, confirming, in her mind, that this was less and less like a Genjutsu.

"A ninja must see beneath the underneath," he said.

Naruto's jaw was still hanging open.

Kakashi tilted his head to the sky nostalgically. "Those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are called trash, but those who do not care for their comrades and abandon them are lower than trash."

Sasuke sat back, relief on his face. "We passed," he sighed.

Naruto stared for a moment before his face lit up like a light bulb. "Yes! We passed! I'm a ninja! Ninja ninja ninja!"

Kakashi chuckled. "That's right. Starting tomorrow, we're Team 7."

* * *

><p>The euphoria of the moment had passed over her quickly. For the entire moment she had put aside her predicament, but now she knew that it was true. After that was over, Sakura knew that somehow she had travelled back in time and landed in her twelve year old body. And the moment she believed it was the moment she felt out of this world.<p>

She groaned in pain, doubling over and leaning against the tree. She breathed in deeply, feeling sweat accumulate on her brow. She felt hot in her clothes, but what hurt was her head. It was like her skull was replaced with a pressured balloon and attached to her body.

Weakly, she pulled the strap of her bag over her head and dropped onto the ground, falling back onto the tree and sliding down its trunk.

_So, I'm back; back to being twelve years old, back to when my life as a ninja began. Back to the beginning, where life just got harder._ She wiped the sweat from her brow. _Why am I here? Why? It's so… hard to believe, even though it all makes sense. I—_

"Hey, Billboard-Brow!" a voice called.

Sakura flinched, looking to her left and seeing Ino standing right there, the sun behind her. "Ino…"

The blonde stomped towards her, her eyebrows knitted deeply inwards. "What the hell is up with you, Sakura?" she demanded. Right before the pinkette she stopped, hands on her hips. "What the hell has been wrong with you for the past three weeks? You've been acting so different!"

Her brain thrummed with each word Ino said, and groggily, she whispered, "I'm from the future, Ino."

The blonde tutted, throwing her hand in the air in disbelief. "Okay. Sure. I'll humour you, Billboard-Brow. You've been acting like an anti-social creep for the last few weeks because you're from the future?" She squatted, tilting her head to the side. "What? Lemme guess. You're married to Sasuke and have a beautiful house and three beautiful ki—"

Ino stopped talking and stared in absolute dismay as she saw Sakura's already dull eyes shift into a darker shade. Her skin prickled uncomfortably, and her jaw drooped without her knowing. Her mind whirred.

"You've… got to be kidding," she whispered to herself. There was a long pause as she studied her stoic friend a little more closely, and fear gradually clamped in her chest when she realised the implications. "Sakura. Sakura—Sakura!"

She grabbed the rosette by the shoulders and shook her vigorously – almost desperately – and life returned to those green eyes, flashing with fright and pain. Ino paused again, staring at the girl next to her, her heart thumping.

"What did he do?" she asked softly.

Sakura dipped her chin to her collar bone, saliva collecting in her mouth. "You believe me?"

Had it been any other moment, the blonde would have scoffed. "I'm a part of the Yamanaka clan," she stated matter-of-factly. "I've been trained to read people's expressions, and I think I'd recognise how a person looks when they flashback." A worried frown marred her forehead as she added, "And when it's a painful one."

Sakura looked a little dubious before nodding in understanding, tears leaving her eyes again. The Ino she knew was a master at this sort of thing, so it only made sense that she did have prior knowledge back from way when. It was just a shame she didn't show it much.

Ino smiled. "If you were from the future, you'd know that."

She didn't seem to hear the goading statement as she whispered, "It's time-travel, Ino."

The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "And actions speak louder than words."

This, Sakura knew, was true. How often were trials and debates won because the accused or some other member had done something incredibly stupid which just couldn't be counteracted with words? How often did such events go on for long hours as they just argued?

Ino sucked on her bottom lip and hoisted herself up, her knees cracking. "Is Future Sakura really this pathetic?" she asked.

The rosette flinched, lifting her head to glare at the offending blonde. "_Ino_," she hissed, beginning to breathe harshly. "You don't—" She bit her bottom lip, stopping herself. "You can't—" Again the words wouldn't form. "_You_ live the life I've lived, and when you finally think that you're at peace with yourself, suddenly find yourself back in a time you _dreamed_ you could forget—_dreamed_ you could change _because_ you couldn't forget."

Ino bent over, a hand resting of her knees as she slowly brushed a stray lock from Sakura's long fringe back into place. "I know I don't." She smiled. "But you have to admit, telling someone had to have some effect on you."

As Sakura tried to stop her lung from jumping out of their place, she realised that what was said was true. Ino didn't know the full details, and while Sakura had a feeling that the blonde didn't entirely believe it, she knew that her friend knew something strange was going on and was willing to hear more.

But…

She sighed. "Why aren't you insulting me for such a ridiculous notion? Why aren't you calling me an idiot?"

Ino perked an eyebrow. "I was, wasn't I? Besides, I'm kinda outclassed," she said, giggling. She snapped her jaw closed and widened her eyes. "Oh. My. God. Tell anybody I said that to _you_, of all people, and I'll make you regret it."

Sakura managed a weak, broken smile. "Don't worry. There isn't anybody to tell. And what do you mean 'outclassed'."

Horrified, Ino covered her ears. "I said no such thing. No. Such. Thing," she told herself as she walked in a circle, singing.

Before she knew it, Sakura found herself giggling, and Ino extended a hand. "Take it before you look even more like a loser sitting there like a… well… loser."

The rosette procured a devilish smile, its intention blurred by her watery, red eyes. "You have no idea what I can do, _Ino_," she said, taking her hand.

"Well, I'm not impressed," the blonde replied snobbily. "If Future Sakura is still this mushy, then I'm not scared either." She frowned. "What's up with that anyway?" she asked as she yanked Sakura from the ground.

The rosette's weight plummeted again as she was taken unprepared, but eventually she stood without help – maybe a little weakly, though. "What's up with what?"

"Shouldn't you, I dunno, be able to produce a hundred clones or something?"

"My mind is back in the past, not my body," Sakura explained, worry setting in.

Ino grimaced. "Eurgh. Training all over again." She didn't skip a beat as she continued, "You did train, right? I mean, there's no way _I _would let _you_ just quit being a ninja."

Sakura grabbed her bag from the ground and wiped her eyes, slinging the pouch over her shoulder. "I did. My teacher was…" She slowed to silence. "Nevermind."

Ino raised an eyebrow and looked as though she wasn't going to settle with an unfinished sentence, but ultimately she tilted her head back towards the village and said, "Come on."

They started walking side by side, looking exactly like two friends walking home from training.

"Was I good?" the blonde eventually queried.

"Yes." Sakura bobbed her head. She felt slightly happier. She guessed that telling just one person, who might not fully believe her, made her feel better.

"Gorgeous?"

"Of course."

"Aiych!" Ino crowed, grabbing her head suddenly. "That meant you knew what the teams were going to be!"

Sakura nodded slowly. "The first time… you and I made a bet," she whispered. "About who would be placed on… his team."

Ino didn't comment on the pause. "Tch. I lost that one."

"Yeah, you did."

Sakura didn't doubt that there were a million questions swimming about Ino's mind, and most of them were ones she knew she'd have trouble answering – particularly the ones about… Sasuke and Naruto.

"Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"What did he do to make you like this?" she suddenly asked.

Sakura paused. "Ino?"

"Hm?"

"I hope to God you never find out."

Another pause. They could hear their soft footfalls on the short grass, and the gentle whistle of the breeze.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"You can change it, you know."

* * *

><p><em>The difficulty of writing this last scene was just, argh! I was so looking forward to writing it from the beginning, but when I started writing it, it went way too quickly. I think I did better this time, but still unsure about it - especially because I upped it to 6000 words. No! T.T Trying to keep the chapters even but this just spoils it.<br>_

_Anyway! What did you guys think of HOW Sakura realised?  
><em>

_And sorry people! :( I haven't been on this site for weeks, and I haven't actually been writing any of my stories (I just edited this one now, it was pre-written) because I'm been immersed in something different. I hope that I will return to my stories soon. *fingers crossed*_

_**Thank you to those who alerted + favourite + reviewed this story. XD I'm sorry I haven't responded to each of you. :(**_


	5. Fogged

—**CHAPTER FIVE—  
><strong>_Fogged_

* * *

><p>Sakura couldn't get to sleep that night after the Bell Test. Her body was completely drained and practically begging her to get to sleep, but her mind was so active that she felt fully awake. Sitting on her bed in her room was about all she could do to ease the tiredness of her body – though she had hadn't done much all day, so she wasn't sure why it was so heavy.<p>

Exhaling, Sakura rested her head on the wall she was leaning on, closing her stinging eyes.

"_You can change it, you know."_

Ino's words were ever present, the source of her alert brain. It reminded her, also, of the small signs she had seen in Sasuke, such as when Kakashi confessed about having lost everyone he loved. She had had a thought there, too. And just being back in the past in general gave her plenty of ideas.

With those thoughts combined, the possibilities – thousands of them – came to her mind almost at once, constantly. She could train harder, earlier, change her attitude, start new friendships with those she became friends with only later in her life. She could prepare for things, and if she was careful, maybe even change pre-mentioned things.

_That would be dangerous, though_, she reminded herself, absentmindedly massaging her thin thighs. _One slight alteration can change the entire future, but yet would I really want to experience the same things I did last time? So much pain and tears? _

_Then again, I may change things for the worst; like Naruto might get captured by the Akatsuki and he'd never be there to save Konoha from its destruction – or cause its destruction, is more likely. But on the other hand, maybe I could convince Sasuke to stay and—_

_**Yeah, 'cause that worked out great the first time, didn't it?**_

Sakura paused in her movements, crestfallen. _Who am I fooling? In the back of my mind I know that Sasuke would remain fixated on his goal, but… oh, snap out of it, Sakura! Do I even _want_ to meddle with time?!_

She ran a hand through her long pink tresses, smoothening out any looped strands.

_Why am I here in the first place? Fate? Maybe fate's telling me that I could change things for the better, that I'm meant to interfere with events that happened in my time._

_**Or she could just be fucking with you.**_

She sighed loudly and fell into her pillow, closing her eyes as she inhaled the fresh scent of soap. Deep in the crevices of her mind, she knew – or felt – that her misadventure into the past was just a huge cock-up. And her attitude for the past three weeks, for all she knew, may have tipped the scale and sloshed the water already.

Sakura gripped her pillow tightly, her body growing tense as frightened green eyes peered through the open window and stared at the night sky.

Telling Ino, or having Ino just know her problem, helped put her at ease for that moment. Now she had no idea what to do; what was right, what was wrong, what could go perfectly well with small changes, or just horribly bad.

She hadn't cried since she first landed here, but now the mentally full grown female could feel those tears bubbling inside her.

The new future depended entirely on her.

LINE

One good thing, Sakura realised the next day, was that she could act more like herself. And over the rest of the days of the week, she shifted her temperament to just that, slowly so that no one would raise anymore eyebrows.

It was like life had started again for her – and it pretty much did.

She didn't go out of her way to see Ino – and neither had the blonde – but if they ever were in proximity of one another, it was safe to say that their civility towards one another came as a surprise to their teammates. There was the accepting nod and the occasional glances from Ino to check if she hadn't just dreamt up the whole conversation, but no matter how much she looked at Sakura, she could definitely see the differences.

Sakura held herself slightly differently to how she used to before everything started. Her confidence had sky-rocketed, her determination was scary, and Ino was even warier of her than before. They may have been joking about her skills in the future before, but she could definitely see that this Sakura knew her stuff. All the Rookie 9 had whenever they saw her.

But besides Ino, her team noticed the differences the most.

The first day they came together as a team, Kakashi had kept his eyes on her. When he set them up with basic training (tai-jutsu with the log post, or harnessing chakra by performing the clone jutsu) he had to admit that he was slightly surprised to see the girl set down quickly to it.

He had only been surprised because her report showed that she was very interested in one Sasuke Uchiha, and so he had been preparing himself to train a fangirl, but the Bell Test proved otherwise. Her actions had resembled hysteria, almost. So his interest was piqued.

What's more, the girl was adapting quickly. After the first few punches at the training post, she somehow knew exactly how to shift her body and weight to deliver a close bull's eye. The same could be said with her kicking, and her deliverance of chakra to her extremities to perform the jutsu.

In many ways, Kakashi was a little disappointed. The team he was expecting wasn't the team he got. Something was off balance, and after having a quick talk with Iruka after the first lesson, he hadn't been the only one who noticed. Yet the Jounin hadn't said a word as he watched the three practice.

Sakura's quick understanding gave Naruto even more motivation and determination in his training, and because Sasuke liked to be ahead of everyone else, his training had improved as well. It was a chain reaction which started because of the rosette.

Kakashi watched them for another few minutes before he exhaled and pushed himself up to a stand. "Alright! Take a break!"

Naruto and Sakura collapsed, the former complaining about his limbs burning.

Sakura dropped her head back and silently groaned. _No kidding. I know how to pull the punches, but I have no muscles. My limbs burn._ She peered up at Sasuke near her to see that he was panting and sweating but was still able to use his arms and legs.

Groaning loudly, the rosette sprawled herself on the grass.

_I'm going to have to make my decision sooner or later. The only thing I know I want to do is pick up training sooner, which I'm already doing. As for anything else… oh no. The Wave Country mission is coming up in less than two months._

It had been a week since she found out that she was back in the past, and so far nothing had been too out of the ordinary. So far. Her gut was telling her that something was going to happen soon.

But when was soon?

"Alrighty! Get back to it!" Kakashi's cheerful voice shook her back to reality.

Naruto mumbled some profanities under his breath as he slowly stood up. Sasuke was already practising, but Sakura found herself having trouble getting the motivation.

Kakashi's head suddenly appeared in her view, and judging by the crinkles of his mask and his curved eye, he was smiling broadly at her. "Improving quickly there, Sakura."

"Thank you," she whispered.

The smile disappeared from his face as he loomed over her. "But you can do better. Up."

Sakura fought the urge to scowl. _Why does he seem more like a prick than before?_ she asked herself.

When she did manage to stand, she gave Kakashi a look that said 'Happy?' to which he nodded in satisfaction, gesturing to the training post behind her. Only when she turned around did she scowl to herself.

Training was like this for the next two days. It was getting a bit monotonous, but Sakura knew that Kakashi was wanting to get their endurance and strength up that little more before taking on any D-ranked missions; Naruto, of course, was complaining about doing nothing.

Their first D rank was herding a company of stubborn cattle back into their pen, which was done with ease. Their second was of a similar type of easy mission: cleaning up the main river that threaded through the village. Their third was the re-capture of the cat, Tora, who belonged to a wealthy woman. After that, their missions kept coming, but Sakura found she didn't mind them compared to what she knew was coming.

The fourth day she had decided she'd take a step up. Her muscle had developed that little bit more, that she was sure she could channel chakra to her fist and make some sort of a dent in the earth. So during their small time in training where Kakashi allowed them to work on what they felt like, Sakura went through with her thoughts.

She gave her team a wide berth, ("Sakura!" Naruto called, waving. "What are you doing?!") curled her fingers into her palm and focused chakra to her fist. It glided soothingly to her knuckles (after all that training to pin-point their chakra channelling, why shouldn't it be?) and hummed there, before she sucked in a breath and punched the ground.

Someone squealed, and dust clouded the area around her in an instant. Sakura coughed, whacking at the loose dirt floating about her and keeping her eyes closed. Once it all cleared, she looked up to the sky and muttered, "Whoops."

"Wh-What was that?" Naruto cried, and she glanced down at him to see him smothered in dirt and lying on the floor; she could only assume that it was him who had screamed like a girl.

Sakura raised a hand in apology. "Sorry, Naruto. It didn't work."

It hadn't. Ignoring the petrified blond (because he had been running to her when she punched the ground), she inspected the earth to see that she had just unsettled the top layer of dirt badly, to the point that the darker soil beneath could be seen, but no sort of crater had been made.

Well, what had she expected? It had been the exact same the first time she attempted to do this, but back then it had taken her days to get to this point.

"Interesting, Sakura," Kakashi commented, strolling by her and the blond who was whacking off dirt – Sasuke stayed back at the log post, watching. "What made you think of training in this?"

Sakura smiled nervously and shrugged, rubbing her sore knuckles. "I seem to be pretty good at punching—" Naruto chuckled anxiously, "—and chakra control, so I thought: why not?"

Kakashi nodded. He was watching her closely; so closely she could feel her skin prickle. "Do you know where you went wrong when you executed the attack?"

She bobbed her head. "Yup. The chakra in my fist wavered when I moved it down, so when I made contact, it wasn't dense as it should be, and instead crackled out and just upturned the soil. I need to learn to keep it constant, and then expand it properly when I hit the ground to create a bigger impact."

The silver-head shoulders seemed to sag at the very thought of the rosette cracking the earth; she'd be like a she-devil or something. And she was right that her tai-jutsu was good (Naruto would feverishly agree with that) and that chakra control was her strong suit, but something still felt off, and Kakashi couldn't shake it.

Iruka had told him that she scored the highest marks in theory, so she knew her stuff, but it wasn't the same as applying it on her body. But she seemed to be doing it rather well for a genin.

Every day she showed him peculiar surprises, whether she knew it or not.

Call it intuition, but Kakashi felt as though there was more to be seen than Sakura was letting on.

For the rest of training that morning, Sakura focused on getting the combination of chakra and timing right. It was when she had made a small dent on her third try did she stop and, for that moment, panic, and look up to see where Kakashi was standing. Luckily he was helping Sasuke find a better angle to hit the log post and deliver the highest amount of damage.

She bit her lip. She was improving too fast. Her previous knowledge gave her a more extreme edge than she realised, and she was getting her previous abilities faster than she anticipated. Sucking in a breath, Sakura told herself to show more development.

_Like math,_ she mused. _I have to show my working out. I can't skip a step, otherwise it will catch Kakashi's attention._

Wringing her hand, Sakura massaged her knuckles before continuing her training, one step at a time. There was only a few more minutes left of free training when she felt a cold chill zig-zag down her spine and her hair on her arms stood erect. She huffed, lowering her exhausted self to the ground and sitting, stretching her dirt-covered legs.

It was hot today, so sweat and grime clung to her body like a second skin.

Straightening her back, she glanced over her shoulder casually, feeling another chill go through her body when her eyes met Sasuke's. He was beneath the tree, having a drink, but he was glaring at her – or… scrutinizing?

Sakura was no idiot. She knew that she had been suspicious before everything made sense, and part of that attitude had still carried on, namely the Uchiha-ignoring. She didn't doubt that her grip on training was also capturing his attention.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. Sakura turned her back to them, easing chakra into her limbs to soften the tight bundle of nerves. Medical jutsu was coming to her quickly as well, but she couldn't show too much without first raising the topic with Kakashi.

"What?" the Uchiha snapped.

"Let's spar!" the blond suggested, pumping a fist into the air. Confidence oozed from him like his overwhelming body odour.

Sasuke nodded quietly and set his bottle back down by his backpack.

Naruto waved at Sakura, shouting, "Get outta the sun, Sakura! You can watch under the tree!"

"No thanks!" she responded back without looking. Naruto deflated, then started taunting Sasuke before the spar even began. Sakura sighed and scratched the back of her neck. "Where's Kakashi-sensei, anyway?"

* * *

><p>Nanako Haruno slid the thin, red-brick tipped brush carefully in an even line, her brow knitted tight in full concentration. She blew some air on it softly, waving her hand at the same time so that it would dry quicker. Her husband came into the back room from the store front, wiping sweat from his brow as he tugged off his thick gloves and smacked them on the dusty working desk.<p>

"Hana Chie put down another request," he told Nanako. "I have to get the materials. Can you watch the shop?"

The fair-skinned woman nodded, washing the brush vigorously in a nearby soap solution. "Sakura should have finished training by now. If she comes by, do you want me to ask her to help you?"

Kousuke shook his head. "No. She's got enough things to worry about." He started coughing hoarsely, and Nanako rushed to him, patting his back lightly. "This cold's getting worse," he croaked.

Nanako sucked on the inside of her cheek as she untied her paint-smeared apron and set it on a hook. "It'll be gone in a few more days," she murmured. "You can head off now. I've got the counter. Just take care."

"No, I think I'll just go anger a bull."

She ignored him and his sarcasm as she headed into the main part of the shop, hearing her husband leave through the backdoor of the workshop. She didn't have to wait long before the bell jingled, and she greeted the customer with a smile on her face.

"Hello! How may I—oh," she stopped, quirking an eyebrow. "You look familiar."

The tall man chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head casually and tucking an orange book carefully into a pocket in his pants. He looked around the shop with one eye before resting on the thinking woman.

"Ahh, that's right," she recalled, holding up a finger. "You're Sakura's new teacher, yes?"

Kakashi nodded. Nanako bowed in welcome.

"It's good to meet you in person. She described you well…" she trailed off; Kakashi wondered what the rosette might've said. She shook her head then after. "Oh. Where are my manners? Thank you for training our daughter. My husband and I are much happier seeing her come home with a sense of accomplishment about her."

The silver-haired jounin held up a hand. "About that…" He paused, and tilted his head. "What was home like before Sakura graduated?"

Nanako's smile disappeared instantly, and she clasped her hands together nervously. "It was fine, until it… became not so fine," she said, sighing. "Why? Has Iruka spoken to you about it?"

Kakashi contemplated. "Something like that."

Her eyes widened. "She's not in trouble, is she?" she asked in fear.

"No!" He shook his head. "No, I am just curious."

The aging woman sucked on the inside of her cheek and dropped her weight onto one leg. "I don't know what got her so riled up those few weeks before graduation, and I won't deny that I'm curious, but right now I'm just glad my daughter is back to normal – if not… a little more mature…"

The bell jingled, and Nanako snapped out of her stupor to greet the customer – an elderly woman gripping a stern cane. Now that she had a potential buyer, all her attention had shifted, and she made sure the customer was happy with just browsing before she approached Kakashi again.

"Thank you," he muttered. She nodded, though was frowning. He turned to the door, but then paused and shifted back. "Don't tell Sakura I was here, please."

Nanako giggled. "Yes. I think she would be a bit scared if I told her, her sensei had visited the shop to ask about her."

Kakashi coughed. "You make it sound like I'm interested in her," he accused with wide eyes, his hand gripping the handle of the door tightly.

Sakura's mother raised an eyebrow and a cheeky smile met her lips. "Aren't you?"

Fear gripped him. "Not like that!"

"Like what?" the woman quipped, merrily turning around and assisting her customer. Kakashi left instantly, a little scared by that female.

_Must be in their genetics,_ he thought. _Haruno women are scary, in all ways possible._

* * *

><p>Days passed, missions came and went, and training was the usual. She practiced solo as well, admitting interest about medical jutsu to Kakashi one time by showing him a book regarding Tsunade. He had eyed her for a second before suggesting that they concentrate on one thing at a time. That wasn't something she wanted to hear, considering she was getting things quicker and could take the extra training – she felt she could, at least.<p>

Along with her skills, her body weight was increasing with the muscle she gained; she ate more to replenish her energy and chakra supply, and the skin on her hands and feet would blister and bleed from the abuse but would eventually heal to become stronger. Her hair was slightly drier than usual, brought about by the hot weather, but she didn't cut it. Not yet.

She wasn't sure if she ever would, either.

The day of the Wave mission drew closer – three or so days, maybe – and it was creating an anxiety knot in her stomach. To get rid of it, she focused on anything and everything else.

A day later and rain came. This caught everyone off guard, and it became one of the most spoken about topics in Konoha; it was the middle of summer after all, why would it rain? The sky was covered by a blanket of dark clouds, with no visible ray of sunlight in sight. It poured buckets, flooding some of the smaller, deeper streets.

The knot in her stomach grew bigger as rain continued to fall for the rest of that day, then the next – the day that they got their mission.

She woke up that day, feeling sick at the sight of the greyness outside her window and the sound of rain hitting the roof. She shivered as she went about her morning routine and left the house for the usual Team 7 waiting spot.

The air was wet, and even though her head was swamped by a large hoodie, her hair was still gathering the moisture. She hated that feeling. She mentally complained about it the entire walk to the spot.

Sasuke and Naruto – as usual, now that she knew Kakashi-sensei was always going to be late – were already waiting beneath the shelter of a gazebo near the bridge, the former seated, cross-legged on a seat and Naruto standing on the railing. He spied her approaching and waved at her in greeting. Sakura minutely waved back.

She had gotten used to being in their presence, but being used to it didn't mean she felt safe talking to them like she once did. Their pasts… while she could ignore it on good days, was ever present in her mind. It was harder to see the two of them in a new light still, even if it had been months since she woke up back in the past.

As soon as she stepped under the shelter, she raised her eyes to meet Sasuke's before she looked away and sat down not far from him. For the first weeks of their training, he'd inform her that she was late whenever she arrived, but after getting dismissed on each of those occasions, he had stopped. However, then started the onslaught of 'stares' she received whenever he thought she wouldn't notice. At first she was severely put off by it, but after a while, and because everyone else was doing the same thing, she had become used to it.

Half an hour later and Kakashi showed up, and they were on their way to the Hokage Tower for another mission. Despite the coldness of the rain, Sakura felt her skin heat up beneath her jacket.

* * *

><p>The wooden floorboards were wet from the rain being dragged in by so many ninja, but notwithstanding that, the room was kind of toasty. There was a tiny fire lit at one end of the room, between the door and the long table which the Hokage and several other officials sat behind. It gave the area a soft glow that reminded Sakura of those times she'd have missions involving trekking to Snow, and having to stay in a small hot springs hotel in the middle of nowhere.<p>

The first time she had seen the Hokage in this new time, Sakura was immediately reminded of his death. Though it had been years since it happened, the memory hadn't waned much. But then the thought surfaced that she could stop him from dying.

Maybe.

Naruto shook his hair wildly for the fifth time since entering the building, and Sasuke cringed, glaring at the blond. He chuckled nervously, backing away. Sakura slowly pulled off her hood, and Kakashi tussled his hair with a gloved hand, making his silver locks clump back down on his head like a fluffed up cat.

Then on, from memory, things were following pretty much how it did before, besides a few of the insignificant details, such as a helper tending the fire and another bringing in some warm drinks for the Hokage – or other added bits of conversation that Sakura wasn't quite sure had happened last time or not. Naruto had complained about the amount of D missions, resulting in Sasuke admitting – out loud, to her shock – that he agreed. Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to go on the Wave Mission or not.

Minutes later, and the Hokage had resigned, taking out a scroll with a large 'C' imprinted on it. Unfurling it, he started to explain what they had to do.

Her insides tightened.

It was the same mission. The same place. The same task. The same bridge builder. But the same enemies?

She released a heavy sigh as the door behind the group slid open, revealing the very familiar looking old man who was leaning against the frame with a bottle in one hand. His beady eyes looked over them beneath thick eyebrows, and he scratched his upper furry lip before scoffing.

"These are the ninja escorting me?" he asked mockingly.

Kakashi tilted his head. "It's an escort mission. How hard could it be?"

The man moaned in contemplation before nodding. Sakura swallowed uncomfortably. His name was on the tip of her tongue. She had seen him several times after the Wave mission, but not often in the years before she ended up where she was.

"My name is Tazuna," he answered Kakashi's question, unheard by Sakura. She snapped back to reality. "When do we leave? We have no time to waste."

"In a hurry…" Kakashi noted.

Tazuna heftily shrugged. "I have a grandson I need to get back to. Probably worried to death about me by now," was his response.

"Alright!" Kakashi clapped his hands together, nodding to the Hokage before turning back to his team and the client. "Meeting at the gates in thirty."

Naruto whizzed out of the door in excitement, and he was already out the second door and in the rain before the rest of the group had left the presence of the Hokage. Sakura trudged at a content pace behind, lifting her hood back over her matted hair as she walked into the rain with the rest of her team.

Sasuke suddenly stopped a few feet in front of her, and Sakura hesitated in her step before biting briefly on her lip and coming up beside him. He was staring ahead, his clothes damp beneath the thick rain coat he had on, and his hands stuffed into the coat's navy pockets.

"Strange weather," he commented, water falling from his moving lips.

Sakura's lips tightened. "Yeah."

The empty silence that followed made it seem like he was wanting to say more but was having trouble – either that or he decided not to – and so Sakura was about to take a step to head home when a sudden grip on her wrist made her swing back around and stare in surprise.

For starters, they had barely ever touched each other since they were put on the same team, and second of all, a massive chill exploded along her back and forced her fine hairs to stand erect, but not for the good reasons. His touch was cold and clammy, and she knew it was because of the rain, but the sensation just filled her with cold dread that reminded her of who this boy would grow up to be.

Staring at him directly, noticing how big his eyes looked, tracing over the slight wrinkle in his brow that signified his frustration, just showed how 'innocent' this Sasuke was.

"How do you do it?" he asked, snapping her out of her inspection.

Sakura tugged her arm away, but his grip was tight.

"Sakura, how do you do it? How do you seem to know exactly how to adjust yourself to throw kunai and shuriken properly when, before graduation, you were dropping in skill?" He was insistent. "Don't think I haven't noticed. And if I've noticed, Kakashi-sensei definitely has. Naruto too, though he's probably too blockheaded to realise what it means."

She sighed calmly, clamping a hand on his fingers and prying them from her wrists. He let go willingly.

"I practice outside of training, too, Sasuke," she told him.

His lips curled inwards, as if he was about to refute that claim but decided better against it. "You've improved," he admitted. Sakura widened her eyes. "And so… when we return from our mission, I want to spar with you."

She shivered. "But Naruto—"

"Naruto wants to fight you, too." He leaned closer, and her eyes darted from side to side to avoid having to look at any part of his body – or his washed out scent. "I told you we all noticed," he whispered.

He stood there for a good few seconds before pivoting and walking away, his back slouched like he had gotten a load off his chest or something. Sakura huffed in surprise, realising only then that her heart was racing, but she didn't know if it was because her old feelings for her teammate had resurfaced, or if it was because her teammates turned out to be secretly wanting to spar against her, or that she was labelled as something 'worthy' this soon.

Chewing on her bottom lip in contemplation, she realised that she was not going to let the first idea – about her feelings – be the reason why. She wouldn't let herself. It would only make her fall harder than she did the first time.

Sasuke was off limits.

* * *

><p>Nervous for the mission, Sakura ended up arriving on time with the rest of her team and the client – sans Kakashi. She mumbled to herself in complaint as she huddled up next to Naruto under the small shelter by the gate, where the keepers Kotetsu and Izumo were grinning in amusement at how the genin looked like cold and wet kittens. Naruto would have turned around and snapped at them, but he was busy glaring at Tazuna, who was swigging from his sake flask and leaning on the blond every now and then.<p>

Her teeth were chattering, and her fingers felt a little numb from the weather, but she was glad she remembered to put on some gloves so it'd be easier to grip her weapons in the rain. She sighed shakily, annoyed that she saw her breath billow away, before tightening her raincoat around her body and shifting the weight of her feet – her bare legs were cold.

It had been summer five days ago until outlying farmers told of incoming rain. While everyone was dubious, they expected it to be still warm by the time the rain came, so it threw everyone for a loop when the temperature dropped drastically. Even Sasuke, the human ice cube, was shivering next to her, inching a little closer to her for warmth.

"Yo!"

Naruto snapped. "What took you so long?!"

Kakashi hushed him down with a wave of his hand. "I came on time. You came too early," he pointed out. For once his book wasn't visible. He raised a hand to Kotetsu and Izumo. "How're you doing boys?"

The two grinned goofily and waved cheerily back, Kotetsu the one reaching obviously for a hot water bag and stuffing it under his flak jacket. Sakura wasn't the only one who deflated after seeing that, the rest of her team cringed as well.

"Have fun," Izumo wished.

"Nrgh, let's go already!" Naruto shouted, zooming into the heavy rain with Sasuke and Sakura following after him. Tazuna adjusted his straw hat and corked his sake bottle before tying it to his waist beneath his coat.

The group began their mission as soon as they walked under the gates. Naruto was incredibly excited, and was more likely shivering in anticipation rather than from the cold. Sakura was still feeling sick to the stomach, certain that there was something she was forgetting, but as the minutes of walking turned into hours under the heavy rain, that feeling grew stronger.

Their feet sloshed in the mud, their eyes torn between watching the terrain for any hostiles, or to stare at the ground where the rain crushing down on them forced them to look.

A chill ran down Sakura's spine and she gasped, stopping to a halt. She had had those chills crawl down her body before, but those were from the cold. This was different.

Kakashi stopped beside her, asking, "Cold, Sakura?" She barely heard him through the thunderous rain.

She got the hidden message to keep quiet, and she nodded. "I don't know how it happened, Kakashi-sensei, but somehow water just went down my back!"

She made an effort to tap at her back in irritation, the feeling becoming genuine when her fringe decided to slip out of her bobby pins from under her hood and get soaked in the rain (she knew that eventually she'd get wet, but she would have preferred to prolong it as much as possible). Kakashi unbuttoned his caramel coat and slumped it over her small shoulders, sighing dramatically when his fringe shaded his eyes completely.

"Why are we stopping?" Naruto shouted from up front, and the two at the back glanced ahead to see that the other three had stopped and were waiting; Sasuke had his eyes narrowed.

"Just a minor mishap," Kakashi told them, scratching the back of his head.

All of a sudden his hand gripped Sakura's bicep and he twisted her body, just in time for her to catch sight of a kunai skim passed her nose. Sakura instantly caught sight of several shuriken spinning their way behind Kakashi's back, and on instinct, she kicked her sensei's leg so that the mud forced his foot to slip and he kneeled – he grunted in surprise. Grabbing his cloak from around her shoulders, she swung it in a circle as the shuriken were about to hit, capturing them in the folds of the thick material.

"Kakashi-sensei! Sakura!" they heard Naruto yell, followed by Sasuke's growl of frustration as he pulled the blond over to dodge a few more kunai thrown at him – he yelped in surprise. Tazuna was frozen.

"Protect the client!" Kakashi ordered, his single visible eye watching the dark forest for any movement. Naruto and Sasuke agreed, the former slightly shaking from the impending battle. Sakura joined them, discreetly pocketing the extra ammo and discarding the cloak.

The scene was filled with heavy rain as Kakashi scouted for their enemies, the three genin doing their best to do the same. It was in that moment that Sakura realised what her bad feeling from before was about.

Last time it was sunny, and on their journey they had been attacked by two Mist nin. They were foolish enough to act as puddles on a sunny day when it hadn't rained in weeks. Kakashi had been prepared then, but now was a different story. The path was layered in water, hidden pockets of deeper pools dotted throughout. The rain was thick, hindering their line of sight and hearing.

The nin could be anywhere, making it a whole lot harder.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for the reviews guys! Like, seriously; 28? O_O And they're all positive + concrit? And you all like my story? THANK YOU! And to those who alerted, favourite and C2'd. :) Please keep it up, and know that you can leave some concrit, but I'd really like it if you gave some examples of my story of where you think I did wrong or should improve. It would help me a lot.<em>

_This chapter was more filler-ish, until I decided to add in that small bit of the Rain nin at the end. Now the Wave Arc begins! XD *celebrates*_


	6. Splashing Fish

_Because of the overwhelming support for last chapter which pushed me over 100 reviews (already? O_O), I finished this chapter off and decided to post it. Hopefully it won't disappoint. I also figured that you'd prefer me to update than use my time to reply to each of you amazing people (THANK YOU, btw). :P And, as always, if you want to leave concrit, please give me examples from my story, otherwise I won't learn._

_And yes, the chapter title fits the content – and not just literally. :P_

_Also, hopefully I did reasonably well in giving Sakura her limelight __**without **__detracting from the others – though Naruto was a bit difficult, but I couldn't help that considering how some things had changed… *shifty eyes*_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER SIX—<br>**_Splashing Fish_

* * *

><p>Shizune stared out the bedroom window, dark eyes set on the dark clouds overhead. She sighed as she buried her chin into her cupped hand, lowering her sight to the wet streets below, where people were walking with umbrellas. The mood in the room was tense, and had been the exact same way in Tsunade's presence for weeks.<p>

She had seen the woman's luck in work before, and how bad things could get whenever she won something grand, but maybe that luck had run out.

It had been weeks since Tsunade won that huge load at the casino several towns ago, and since then nothing had happened. _Nothing; _except for the unusual downpour, but Shizune doubted that that was the 'bad' luck they were to be expecting. Weather could do strange things, and most of Tsunade's karma happened within the same day of the winnings.

But it hadn't.

And since then the blonde had been very tense; even Tonton noticed it. She was alert, and as more days went by, she got a little more jumpy about the slightest things. While doubt had set into Shizune's mind that maybe this time it just skipped, it seemed to have made the Sannin a whole lot more worried.

Glancing over her shoulder at the busty female seated in the centre of the room, bundled up in blankets and staring morosely at the ground, Shizune wondered when she'd snap out of it. She hoped it would be soon, because the longer those three suitcases of money sat in the corner of the room, and stayed ever present in Tsunade's mind, the worse things would get.

She never liked rainy days.

* * *

><p><em>Shit,<em> Sakura realised, her eyes widening and her focus momentarily warped, her hand gripping her kunai shaking. She released a slow breath into the crushing rain and side-glanced at Kakashi peering into the forest, waiting. _I screwed it up. Last time, I'm certain, he had let himself get 'killed' so that he could figure out who the nin were targeting. Those shuriken... they were for him – he was letting them come – and I deflected them._

_Dammit._

"Sakura!" someone shouted, and she snapped back to reality to engage with several projectile metal, blocking skilfully.

The sounds of chains ribbing against metal caught her attention, and she ducked a stray kunai and glanced in Kakashi's direction to see a whip, of sorts, lashing out at him. Naruto stepped back, blocking her view and parrying with a black-cloaked and masked nin. Mud loosened under his step and he fell back, unconsciously grabbing onto the nearest thing to him – which was her hood – and swiping at his foe which burst into water afterwards.

She yelped as she landed face first into the mud and heard a startling chuckle before she felt blood splatter across her face and Naruto's orange clad body. He gasped as it hit his skin, disappearing under the rain.

Kakashi was torn to ribbons with the whip, his body strewn about on the muddy road.

"Are you guys really ninja!" someone shouted at them from the cover of the trees, as his whip retracted back into safety.

Sasuke had his eyes on in it, though aware that the ninja was long gone from that spot by now. He stepped in a circle, keeping the client in his sight as he held tightly onto his kunai. He glowered at the sight of his two teammates in the mud, and Sakura, at the same time, awkwardly stood up.

"Your strongest man is down!"

Naruto was horrified, blue eyes staring at the bloody mud not far from him, but Sakura didn't say anything to him as she threw off her caramel coloured cloak. She was irritated now, but as she went for her assortment of shuriken and kunai, she stopped, eyes wide.

_My instincts are far above that of a genin, _she told herself. _Kakashi is alive, and he's watching. Be careful…_

Tazuna stood shaking in the rain, his mouth open and his back to Kakashi's 'body', unable to take the sight. Sakura sensed some more weaponry coming his way, and she waited until they were closer before she skidded in front of him and deflected them. An odd one caught her attention from a different angle, and she growled as she pushed Tazuna to the side slightly using his neck, the kunai skimming across her knuckles and letting blood stream from the fresh wound.

Aggravated, instinct flowing through her, Sakura growled as she retracted back and glared into the trees nearby. She sprung into the air like lightning, about to attack when she realised and forced herself to stop short, falling for the ground and witnessing a shuriken whirling towards her. She twisted her body in the air and felt it graze passed her neck before landing in a heap, pain staggering up her leg.

She gasped as she skidded in the mud, ignoring the hissing of Sasuke as he fought against an enemy that had made itself known and seemed real. She spied Naruto still in shock, and Tazuna backing away and slipping in the mud. Her heart thumped, and she cursed her indecisiveness.

Clenching a fist, instinct controlled her again and she punched the muddy ground, fear collapsing down on her at the exact same time and causing a fall of mud and dirt to shower the field instead – the ground remained intact. Reflex forced her to bend back and she evaded a swipe at her chest, quickly grabbing onto the long-sleeved hand and kicking the nin in the gut, twisting and flinging him over her shoulder. As soon as he hit the ground and grunted, she gripped his hands like a vice and bent them at an angle until a gasp of pain left his throat.

She shuddered and widened her eyes, stepping back in horror, but she couldn't leave him armed, and quickly kicked the kunai from his hands, sending it across the pathway. His beady eyes stared at her through his black tresses, above his metal breathing apparatus, and a chill of fear hugged her spine when she recognised his look as confusion.

"Stupid girl," he grunted, throwing mud in her eyes.

She gasped, recoiling backwards but sensing an impending threat. She stepped to the side, feeling the rain splash at her cheeks as he made to harm her, and again, on instinct, she kneed him, before grabbing his head and smashing his face against her fist—before she stopped halfway and threw him to the ground. In the rain she stood, completely soaked as she breathed heavily, her body jerking with all her emotions.

Instinct and adrenaline made itself known, but her brain kept cutting that off every single time she made for the kill, made herself obvious. She just couldn't decide. Her body reacted, but her fear and mind took control at the most crucial moments.

"Make up your mind, girl!" the nin yelled at her through the mud in his mouth, forming his hand into a sign but stopped instantly by the familiar whip wrapping around his wrist and slamming it to the ground. He growled and gasped as the dirt flooded into the puncture wounds the shuriken whip left. "What are you—?" he started, until dread filled him.

Sakura turned, curious, and stared at Sasuke who had taken out his opponent – lying unconscious on the ground - and had used the whip against him. He snorted, tugging the whip back and ripping the Rain nin's hand to near shreds – he cried in agony. Sakura turned her head away, closing her eyes, and Naruto clapped his hands over his ears.

Tazuna stood, frozen.

No one said a thing in the hard rain, the only human sound being the Rain nin gasping in pain and staring in horror at his bloody hand. Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of them, scaring the daylights out of Naruto who had thought he was killed and fought the urge to hug the jounin. But the silver-head didn't seem in the mood.

His dark eyes stared at Naruto, who flinched and back away, then to Sasuke who met his gaze hard, before resting on Sakura. She refused to look at him, and instead clenched her fist and wiped the mud from around her eyes, shivering in the cold.

"Let's get some answers," the jounin said, bending down to pick up the unconscious Rain nin.

* * *

><p>Luckily the rain had started to die down after the battle, and the group had found some shelter under a thick tree where they managed to scrounge up a fire. Naruto was huffing at it to keep it going, still covered from head to toe in mud, and Tazuna was next to him, resting against the trunk of the tree, his skin pale and his wrinkly hands shaking from the aftermath. Sasuke was running his fingers over his lips in contemplation, his other hand scruffing up his wet hair.<p>

Nearby, Sakura was wringing her long hair so that it was a little bit lighter, wincing as she flexed her hand and felt the fresh cut sting. When she tied up her hair into a ponytail, she flinched again and looked at the cut.

Kakashi returned from the forest, inspecting the wet pieces of wood he found and waving them in the air to rid them of excess water before lumping them onto the tiny fire. It provided some warmth and light, a godsend considering the dark clouds made it seem like night.

"Alright," the jounin whispered, sighing as he squatted by the fire. None of them needed to ask anything to know that he had disposed of the Rain nin after withdrawing any necessary information. He stared at their client hard. "Why are those nin after you?" he asked, point-blank.

Naruto gaped and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Tazuna faulted, eyes wide. "What—"

"I could have taken out those chuunin with ease, but my gut was telling me that they were there for a reason, there for _someone_," Kakashi explained darkly. "This has jumped to a B-rank mission, and by all means, we can stop right now and return to Konoha, because you lied."

He didn't have to say anything else after that before Tazuna confessed; everything – what he had to do, who was after him, why, why he was so desperate to get back, and all through it his voice shook.

"These are genin," Kakashi then said. "They are not ready for this sort of mission, and you risked their lives by lying, saying it would be a C-rank."

Tazuna sighed, shoulder slumping. "It was hard enough getting money for a C-rank. There was no way I could've paid for a B."

The jounin sighed near dramatically, shaking his hair and flinging water everywhere. After a moment, he stopped and stared into the fire. "I see." A few minutes later, he continued. "Then we'll continue on."

Sakura didn't know why, but her stomach dropped at those words. Half of her wished that they could just return home because she knew what was going to happen. But then the other half remembered Zabuza and Haku, and their deaths and appearance in the World War four years ago. What would happen if she didn't let them die? Would they die another way? Would it just make things worse? Maybe she could convince them, somehow, to join them in the war in the future – if the war even happened, because it might be prolonged if she could get Sasuke to stay, stop Gaara from dying in the first place and—

She gasped, bending over as those thoughts squeezed her brain. There was just too much. She wasn't even sure if she should change Zabuza's and Haku's death. It was huge. And she might only see the effects of it years into the future, and that was far too late.

An experimentation? Should she… prod things a bit… to see how things went?

Should she make her own ripple in a pond?

"Sakura," Kakashi suddenly said, and she snapped to attention, green eyes wide as she stared at him questionably.

"Yes?"

"…I'd like to have a word with you," he told her, patting a hand on her shoulder and turning her from the fire. "In private."

_Shit._

* * *

><p>He stood there like a statue, his dark eyes staring hard at her and his arms crossed. His silver hair hung menacingly over his eye, casting a darker shadow beneath it. Sakura felt pressure build up in her as he worked his magic in unnerving her – and damn it, he was doing it well. He always could. Especially if she felt like shit, because she always had been the type of person who'd talked her problems out – depending.<p>

Her chest was tight, her throat clenched, her eyes burning as her skin tingled. A harsh exhale almost forced the tears out; hot, salty tears begging to fall. And…

Then they fell. Her legs gave out and she collapsed to the damp ground as she cried her heart out, her pink hair falling from around her shoulder and her fringe clinging to her wet face. She sobbed loud and hard, her intakes of air coarse and staggered.

It felt so good to cry after everything.

"I'm sorry," she forced out through the tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry—I can't; I seriously can't." She shook her head and pressed a hand against her forehead, unconsciously raising the other one to bury her face into it.

"Can't?" Kakashi whispered.

"I didn't ask for it, Kakashi," she sobbed.

Duly he noted the lack of 'sensei'.

"I didn't ask for this to happen. I didn't ask for me to end up here, in this body, in this _time_."

Kakashi's body went cold and he widened his eyes, his skin going pale.

"But I'm here. I don't know how, I don't know why—and god dammit!" she shouted, punching the earth. "I hate it! I want out but I—I—I—" She burst into tears again and keeled over so that her forehead touched the soft, rain-scented earth. "I'm stuck! I don't know what to do! I feel so heavy! So trapped! So… alone…"

The jounin slowly lowered himself to a squat in front of his students body and planted a hand softly on her head. She hiccupped at the touch but didn't react, her tears instead softening to loud but infrequent sobs.

"Time travel," he whispered.

"_Don't_ say you believe me," Sakura snapped into the ground, her body suddenly tense. "Ino knows too, but I know that… She knows that it makes sense for why I've been acting like this, but she finds it hard to swallow. So _don't_ say you believe me. _No one_ will believe me. They'll humour me, agreeing that the pieces fit, but you won't _ever_ believe me!"

He hung his head. He didn't know if she spoke the truth, but she was adamant in believing that, even though she wanted nothing more than someone to help her lift the burden.

Kakashi didn't say a word as he sorted through the tangled tresses of her pink hair, his mind muddling through the complicated mess that he just heard. She wasn't Sakura Haruno that everyone knew her to be. She was more mature, grown-up, stronger.

It was no wonder she could adjust herself properly, or knew how to hold herself or spread chakra throughout her body. It was no wonder she showed an interest in being a medic, or why she went into hysterics the moment he cast an illusion on her. She thought she was in a Gen-jutsu before then, and that moment clinched it.

No wonder she knew that moral of the test was teamwork, why she acted awkward around everybody, why she showed hesitation and fear at the approval of their mission, at how she knew there were nin about to attack them—and why she was jerking between instincts and 'logic' during the fight.

She knew because…

… well…

…because she had lived it.

Every ninja had a burden to bear, but Sakura… Sakura was bearing every single persons' on her own two shoulders—_alone_.

And that… student or no… was something he couldn't allow.

"I understand," he whispered. "Belief is… hard… but I understand. And that's all you need, right, Sakura Haruno?"

A snort-like sniffle cut the atmosphere as she slowly started to raise her head to reveal her red and puffy face. A wet smile wriggled onto her lips, like she was deciding whether or not to use the muscles, but in the end she managed it.

"Thank you, Kakashi."

"Kakashi-_sensei_," he accentuated.

A slobbery giggle left her lips and he cringed as she sniffled loudly. "Not in my time," she told him.

"Hmm," he hummed. "Not sure I want to know."

Her face darkened, and for a moment he was shocked to see that sort of look on such a young face – a face who didn't suit it at all.

"I can't… I don't… know…" Her sentence broke, but he understood, cupping the side of her head and giving her what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry. I'm here."

"… Thank you."

Weakly, she tried to get up, ending up grabbing on to Kakashi's offered hand so that she could use those muscles properly. She sniffled again, those hot tears still simmering, but she felt better. Telling Ino was nothing compared to telling Kakashi, because now she felt like she could actually make a difference with his guidance.

"How old are you, by the way?" he asked, curious.

"I'm twenty."

* * *

><p>"So you <em>have<em> been on this mission before?"

"Yes."

So you know what's going to happen."

"Maybe."

"…Encouraging. What could happen?"

"It was sunny last time. And you didn't have me screwing up your plan."

He chuckled. "I was going to say you couldn't have known, but by all means, you did."

Sakura bowed her head, lips turned down. Kakashi's face tightened.

"But it turned out for the best, right? Well… no one got seriously injured."

The atmosphere around her seemed to darken, making the jounin even more tense where he sat against the tree.

"Sometimes it's those injuries that help us sift through shit," she whispered.

She remembered how, last time, Naruto had been poisoned by one of those nin, and through that – plus the overwhelming fear of the attack and jealousy towards Sasuke – he became stronger, resolute. One of those things didn't happen, another did, but the third… she didn't know. She only knew of it last time because she recalled the look on his face.

"That sort of language is unbefitting of you," Kakashi scolded.

Sakura ignored his comment and exhaled through her nose, wringing her long hair another time for extra measure.

Now that Kakashi knew, the hard part was figuring out what to say, what to ask, and how to act. She couldn't reveal everything to him… or could she? _Should_ she?

Her presence in the past alone would have caused a shockwave of events, that—

Her eyes widened and she stiffened.

"The rain…" she whispered, looking up at her old teacher like she had seen the light. "The rain…" she said louder.

He frowned at her.

"The weather is because of me," she whispered. "I'm like the leaf that hit the pond and caused the ripples. My being here is the largest ripple, with the weather being the next, followed by other small changes after that – and throughout. The change of weather was like an after effect of me coming here."

Her heart pounded as she realised the implications.

"I thought that I was doing well in hiding myself," she told him, mind frantic. "But it didn't matter how I acted, because as soon as I realised that I was back in the past, the damage had already been done—Kakashi, what do I do?" she screamed at him, eyes hysterical as she leaned towards him.

"You don't know that," he said.

"But it makes sense!" she stressed.

"You don't know that _for sure_," he repeated, a hand up in some sort of protection. "It's a theory – a very good theory, but a theory nonetheless."

"But how will we know if it's not?" Sakura croaked, feeling those hot tears return.

"We won't, and perhaps it's territory better left untouched. Look what happened to you the moment you came to that conclusion," Kakashi reasoned.

Sakura exhaled in a rush as she soaked in his words, and slowly she sat back down opposite him, her hands clenching her cloak tightly without realising.

This was serious.

It meant that no matter what she could have done, this timeline would have still been different from the one she left, even if she had been prepared well beforehand. That alone was a scary thought.

He sighed.

"Does anyone get seriously hurt?" he asked, deciding that it was best they continued with their little 'game'.

Sakura tensed and stared at him, and he was filled with cold dread.

"Sakura…?" he asked. She stayed silent. "Maybe you _should_ just tell me everything."

After a moment's hesitation – and with Kakashi's addition that even though he understood, proof of what could happen would be good – Sakura let slip that they were about encounter a very strong ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist, who was known to be a demon and bloodthirsty.

As soon as he heard that, well… it was obvious who she was talking about, and Academy students hadn't exactly been told about him before either, since he was way beyond their level and they weren't required or forced to be put into a situation which would involve someone as strong as him. So the fact that she knew of him alone – who he was, what his skills were, and so on – was enough to give Kakashi the chills and the horrible understanding that if she was right – and she was from the future – they were about to fight someone hard.

Someone who was in their element with all the moisture in the air from the rain.

Zabuza.

She debated whether to tell him of Haku or not, but maybe this own 'ripple in the pond' of hers was enough of an experimentation – so far. She'd see how things went; see how much things would change now that Kakashi knew and was prepared; how much that small extra knowledge would change things.

As soon as they returned to camp, Sasuke was quick to note both of their unsettled expressions, but Naruto was first to exclaim that they took forever, and enquired – without tact – what they had spoken about. Of course, neither of the two said anything, but Kakashi did ruffle the blond's hair playfully and slopped another ladle of mushroom soup into Naruto's bowl, which did the trick of keeping him quiet as he slurped it up.

Sasuke, though, was eying the rosette quietly, stabbing the fire with a stick and hissing in pain when a lick of fire stung his hand (Sakura, having seen this in her peripheral vision, tried not to snort). Tazuna looked like he was trying to sleep against the tree, but the little mud still sticking to his skin was unsettling him.

They stayed there for a few hours until the rain had stopped completely and the sun was beginning to peek through the dark clouds. Sakura felt so glad to have the rays shine on her face and warm it, that for a moment she felt like she was back home – _home_ home. At that point, still damp and covered in dry mud, the group trekked on, their stomachs full with Kakashi on the lookout.

It was when the clouds had killed the sun again, and they began walking by a river which was covered in a thick mist, did Sakura feel her skin crawl, and notice how familiar her surroundings were. Kakashi instantly caught her trepidation.

"Eight choices," a voice suddenly boomed.

Naruto yelped and Sasuke had flinched, unconsciously backing up near the frightened Tazuna to protect him. Sakura felt the air in her lungs disappear in an instant as she stepped up near the client as well, releasing a kunai.

Her fear was there not only because she was going to meet this man again – this enemy – but because the situation was turning out slightly different. He attacked the first time with a warning throw of his massive blade, but now… it's like he's going straight into it.

"Liver. Lungs. Spine. Clavicle Vein," he continued, his gruff voice flooding the area, the mist starting to trickle over the riverbank and onto damp land.

"You three protect the client," Kakashi whispered. And Naruto, though shaking, was quick to stand in formation.

"Neck vein. Brain. Kidneys. Heart."

A sharp sound cut the following silence, and what happened next was so fast that Sakura's untrained eyes barely caught it. A loud _thunk _ended the forewarning attack, and the three genin plus Tazuna spied a massive blade embedded in the trunk of a thick tree up high.

_He spun it at Kakashi, but Kakashi was able to deflect it by grabbing the handle slightly and misguiding it elsewhere. It didn't have to be much. Just a nudge,_ Sakura internally recalled, swallowing. _Things aren't going to be the same, are they?_

"Which one should I go after?" he purred.

Chakra exerted, so forcefully that all ninja tensed under it. Sasuke fought against the gag reflex in his throat, the immense power chilling every nerve in his body. Sakura wished that she could just tell them what to do, to help them survive, but—

_Crack!_

Bark showered down on them and Kakashi widened his eyes as a shadow hung over, gazing up in time to see the top of the tree where Zabuza's weapon had been buried, begin to collapse down over them.

"Move!" he shouted, swiping his hand at the air and feeling a ripple of it brush by him to be met quickly with a bandaged face, one eye leering psychotically back at him.

A foot was buried into his gut and he gasped, coughing saliva before he was shot across the ground and into a nearby tree, cracking the trunk. The three genin and Tazuna ran from the shadow of the falling tree, and it landed with a loud crash behind them, the ground shuddering as the mist started to swarm around everything. But there was no time for a breather.

Sasuke flinched largely as Naruto screamed behind him and was catapulted into the prone tree, his back crushing the finer twigs as he was buried into it. Sakura gasped, grabbing Tazuna's hand and pulling him to the earth as a large swing of Zabuza's sword grazed overhead, Sasuke barely managing to block it as it ended at him, meeting his two shuriken and causing a spasm of pain to shoot through his wrists at the abrupt stop.

He hooked the curved edges of the shuriken over the edge of the massive blade and jabbed hard at Zabuza's planted leg with a foot as a distraction for Sakura to bury a kunai into his stomach. Zabuza gasped, before bursting into water and soaking all three of them.

Adrenaline buzzed in their veins as Sasuke squatted down, keeping low and at height with Tazuna and Sakura.

"Can you see Naruto?" he asked quickly.

Sakura shook her head. The blond was buried deep in the canopy of the fallen top of the tree.

"No." She caught sight of something. "But his headband is there." And she gestured to where it was lying on the ground, one strap of it covered in mud, a small distance from the tree.

A memory sparked.

It was here, after he lost his headband, that Naruto had been overtaken with a surge of confidence and had managed to pull off a feat of teamwork with Sasuke once he retrieved the item. Except then… he had the cut on in his hand, and… the pain… brought back an oath she once heard him say to her that he promised himself with.

If he didn't have the scar, he didn't make that oath, nor have the reminder for it. He wouldn't have the pain—he wouldn't have that confidence!

Fear spiralled down to her toes.

"Boo."

Adrenaline.

"Sakura!"

"_Yo! Sa-ku-ra!"_

_The rosette perked, stopping in her concentration to spy the lazy, brown-haired Nara strolling towards her around the edge of the lake. A smile was on his face as he let himself collapse right next to her, but not before visibly wrinkling his nose in distaste when he saw what was in the numerous buckets around her._

_Sakura chuckled cheekily before tying the fly to the hook of her rod, pushing back the brim of her hat as she concentrated. Shikamaru watched with a deformed face, before shrugging and realising that hey—Chouji got pretty ugly when he was eating, too._

_He groaned and stretched out, eyes towards the blue sky and white clouds. _

"_Why are you here, Shikamaru Nara?" Sakura asked out of nowhere._

_He grinned and pointed at the sky, then at the ground, then gluing his hands together and putting them under his head – in other words, what he usually did when he had time off._

"_Why are you here, Sakura Haruno?" he then asked._

_She mocked him and made fishing motions, before pointing obviously at the box of hooks and tubs of bait and empty buckets around her._

"_Urgh. Why go fishing?" he prodded, eyeing the wriggling worms that she wasn't using yet._

"_Why go cloud watching?" she countered._

"_Because cloud watching is timeless."_

"_Exactly."_

"_Hm."_

_Sakura giggled randomly as she pulled the final knot around the fly and then flung the line into the pond in front of them, green eyes vibrant with excitement as she watched the fishies cloud around it._

"_You do realise fishing is slow?" Shikamaru asked._

_She snorted and looked at him. "You're one to talk."_

_He coughed awkwardly. "Yeah, but… I hate seeing you get so excited and then an hour later, coming to me complaining about how boring it was."_

_Sakura nudged him with her elbow. "Nah. I've been fishing before. On one mission with Naruto years ago, he taught me how to tie a fly to a hook, because he had to do that a lot to catch fish when he left with Jiraiya for three years. Since then, and since… Naruto died… Kakashi and I have been going fishing whenever we can."_

_There was silence as the two friends revelled in what they loved doing._

"_Oh!" Sakura perked as her rod was tugged all of a sudden. Shikamaru shot up from his reclining and watched with interest as the rosette wrestled with the fish pulling hard in return._

"_Sakura, you have monstrous strength, why don't you pull back hard enough to send it flying over the forest line behind us?" the Nara asked._

_Sakura chortled, almost losing grip of her rod as her concentration was warped. "Shush, Shikamaru!"_

_He chuckled to himself as she grunted and pulled back hard, this time managing to get the strength and balance to start wheeling the fish out of the water. It flipped about like crazy in the air, and for a moment, both Sakura and Shikamaru felt kind of bad, before she reeled it in and put it in the water-filled bucket next to her, pulling out a writing pad nearby and scratching something on it. Without another word, she picked up the fish, poked its mouth with her nose and tossed it back into the lake._

_Shikamaru gaped. "What was…?"_

"_I love not using chakra when I fish," she explained. "And I love the act of fishing, not the act of eating it."_

"_You're weird."_

"_Oh, look! A bunny cloud!"_

"_Sakura!"_

"Sakura!"

She jerked awake, hands gripping the nearest thing to her which happened to be Sasuke's arm. His hand gripped her own as a strong reminder that he was there, and she was safe and alive. Her green eyes darted around frantically, her heart racing as she took in the vaguely familiar surroundings of a wooden home, the sound of water sloshing gently against concrete just outside, and seagulls squawking loudly.

"Sakura!" Naruto suddenly cried, flinging open the door and reeling her into a tight hug.

Sasuke growled and pushed him off. "You idiot. She's still disorientated!"

Sakura was in disbelief. She stared wide eyed at the Uchiha next to her, and everything came flooding back like a wave.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"You're a fool, that's what happened!" he barked at her before pointing a finger accusingly at Naruto on the other side of her bed, who was grinning excitedly. "If you hadn't risked your life to save his _replaceable_ headband, then you wouldn't have gotten knocked out and almost killed!"

"Hey, Sasuke, cool it!" Naruto calmed. "We're ninja! We might be killed every day!"

"It's the principle, stupid!"

"Don't talk to me about principles, bastard!"

"Woah woah, hey…" a new voice slashed through their argument, and Sakura was relieved to see Kakashi oddly well in front of her. His eyes were tired though, at least the one she could see, and his shoulders sagged as he stepped through the door and closed it before sitting at the end of her futon.

Naruto jabbed a finger in Sasuke's direction, shouting, "He started it!"

Sasuke glared. "You're too noisy," he muttered, scowling at the blond's finger and pushing it away.

"You were the one yelling at Sakura first!"

"It's called 'concerned', idiot!"

Kakashi sighed comically and Sakura managed to crack a smile as the two boys continued to fight.

"I didn't realise _you _could feel _any_ concern for _anyone_!"

"She's a teammate!"

"Oh." Naruto nodded, unconvinced. "Sure. As you say."

Sasuke growled and clenched his fist, whacking the blond over the head and earning a yelp from him. He didn't give his louder teammate a chance to fight back before he reached entirely over Sakura and pulled Naruto into a tight headlock, muttering threats that were practically muted under Naruto's exclamations of revenge.

"Boys, there is a time and a place for everything…" Kakashi warned.

The two of them froze before they heard a shout of 'lunch!' in the next room and promptly sped out the door, yelling at each other about how they're going to out-eat the other. Sakura sighed in relief as the door slowly swung shut, but Kakashi closed it properly.

"I know this isn't the best place to talk about it," he murmured. "But him showing up was enough proof. However… I have a feeling some things didn't turn out exactly the same."

Sakura nodded wordlessly.

He groaned and raised a hand to his head. "I was afraid of that, and I'm torn between asking or not." He waited before he asked, "Was there another boy there?"

She nodded.

"He's in league with Zabuza, isn't he?"

Sakura's eyes bulged. "How did you—"

"You warning me of Zabuza's attack made me much more aware of who else might be around. I felt another presence in the background, who only intervened when Zabuza was almost taken down. It just added to my suspicions, but I didn't say anything. Better to leave him in the dark and use it to our advantage later on."

She exhaled as she relaxed back into bed, realising how hungry she suddenly was. And about what she had dreamed.

"I remember what happened before I found myself here," she whispered. "No. I said that wrong. I remember what I was doing, who I was with, and it was something that I had done a lot of times beforehand, so nothing was out of the ordinary. I still… have no idea how I am here – or why."

"Nothing was out of the ordinary?" Kakashi asked to confirm.

"Nothing. I was just… fishing and cloud watching with Shikamaru," she muttered, eyes hot again. That blissful feeling from the dream was something she missed already.

"Sakura… I'm not going to ask about every single detail of what happens, because you just warning me of Zabuza altered some things, but…" Kakashi said, breathing out evenly. "This is serious. If you can spare any hints – nothing big, nothing you think would change something hugely – then tell me."

"I don't know how things would change, Kakashi…-sensei…" she murmured, and then closed her eyes. "But I will try. Just the barest of things."

"I also think… that this is way beyond me," he told her, and he watched as she opened her eyes and stared at him. "It's above even him, but when we return to Konoha, I will be informing the Hokage of this."


	7. Crossroad

_Who missed me? XD Someone? Anybody? … *shrinks* Hello?_

_For anyone who is still reading this, no, I haven't forgotten this story. It's my favourite on my profile. I won't give it up that easily. :D Just a reminder that I love it this much because of your wonderful feedback (and because I can actually re-read it without yawning), so, in essence, I love you all and thank you. XD Wow... sounds like I'm going to leave or something. I'm not!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER SEVEN—<br>**_Crossroad_

* * *

><p>"<em>Sakura. I know that you want to blend in, but it's life or death. Don't think when you fight. Just fight. Live first, and worry afterwards."<em>

Honestly, Kakashi's words did little to make her feel better. She knew where he was coming from, and yes, survival was more important, but she still couldn't shake how it felt when she let her body go when she fought. It was fluid and mindless and all on instinct and reflex, almost primitive and very tough. That did not match with who she was as a twelve year old, how people saw her – though that was slowly changing, and she was thankful for it, because then she could branch more into what she had become.

Again, that was in time.

Yet she still let her body go.

* * *

><p>The bridge beneath her rumbled all of a sudden, and Sakura automatically glued herself closer to Tazuna behind her, green eyes peering into the thick mist. Her senses told her that Zabuza was much too distracted with fighting against Kakashi to worry about killing the bridge builder at that moment, and she knew Haku wasn't about to let his two preys go – so what was that rumble?<p>

The mist was too thick to see what was happening, but that simple rumble sent her heart to her throat, because she knew it didn't happen last time.

She felt Tazuna press his back against hers, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on her kunai. The sounds of battled rung in her ears; growling, screeching and whooshing air. A numbing creak, long and drawn out, spliced the atmosphere, and she winced, Tazuna gasping as he slapped his hands over his ears.

_What the?_ she thought wildly, the grumbling of the earth getting stronger.

"Tazuna!" she shouted over her shoulder, heart thumping. "How strong is the foundation of the bridge?"

"Strong!" he responded, hunched over.

Her skin prickled, and something told her that it wasn't the columns beneath the bridge that was screeching and giving in. Her memory flashed to when the mist hadn't come – when Zabuza had not started the battle – and recalled towering scaffolds at the end of the unfinished bridge, balancing piles of rubble to lower down over the side.

"It's the scaffolds," she whispered as something loud and hard crashed onto the bridge and shook it completely. Her balance almost went out the window, and she lowered herself to the ground, a hand blindly grabbing onto Tazuna to direct him.

The screeching started again, and she knew, then, that it was falling, and presumed by the loud crashes, it was falling onto the bridge. Near them.

_On them._

A cackle reverberated, but Sakura ignored it as she latched an arm around Tazuna and yanked him to the side, his old legs barely gripping the floor as it trembled beneath them. It was so loud, so deafening, but all Sakura could hear was her blood racing through her veins as she ran in a direction she felt was away from the danger.

The air suddenly dropped in temperature, and massive crunch and gust of thick, particle-filled air from behind her forced her to the ground, Tazuna tripping over her legs, her kunai leaving her grip and sliding across the concrete. A chilling, deep chuckle broke her logic and she bent back in time to see Zabuza's blade plunged just before her knees, pebbles flying across her face.

Without skipping a beat, she swung a punch towards his masked face, and shoved Tazuna further away with her other. Her fist buried into Zabuza's skin, but water imploded and drenched her completely, just seconds before a looming shadow engulfed her tiny body. Eyes wide, she stared behind to see two yellow eyes, stuck in a serpentine water body, and glowing at her.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She was wrong.

Zabuza wasn't focusing on Kakashi like he was last time; like it was a rematch.

He was stuck, 100%, on his mission to kill Tazuna.

And she was in the way.

But how could it have changed? How could Zabuza's thinking have changed? Her being there couldn't have changed his past thoughts and intentions, so what made him skip the rematch with Kakashi, and make him hell-bent on his mission?

Just what?

_What?_

The body of water collided against her like a train, shoving her to the ground and smacking her head against the concrete hard so that she saw stars and felt an intense throb in her cranium. She was smothered completely and dragged across to the other side of the bridge, her fingers numbly trying to grip onto any dislodged pavement she was sliding over.

Sounds from the outside were blurry, and she felt herself brush by something before her back hit hard against a blockage. Whatever it was, as another torrent of water hit, her back broke it and she was suddenly flying in mid air, her lungs scrambling for air as she left the suffocating water. Her body shuddered as she gazed down and saw the lake.

Gravity pushed down on her hard, and the little air she got left instantly.

A wet hand blindly grabbed her wrist at the last second and she swung into the side of the bridge. A shuddering breath escaped her shivering lips, and the drenched Sakura gazed up to see red eyes peering down at her, framed by black bangs and a beaten face.

"Gotcha," she heard Sasuke whisper.

Her throat felt tight. "Your battle," she croaked, fear climbing. "What about behind you?" she screamed.

His eyes narrowed further.

"And the client?" she continued.

"Stop your screaming!" Sasuke snapped back, hysteria flashing across his lit eyes before he grunted and yanked her up. Her body still hung over the side, but she quickly scrambled to her feet to see what was going on.

But the first thing she and Sasuke saw was blood splashing across the bridge, spreading out through the water.

She shivered, eyes wide, as Zabuza looked on in shock before slowly sliding his blade from Haku's body. The young boy's body convulsed, and blood dribbled from his lips, his brown eyes so large in surprise as he stared at his guardian for years.

A heavy chink lit the silent atmosphere for a second when Zabuza's sword hit the concrete, and then everything went still as what happened was grasped.

Haku swayed, until inevitably collapsing to the ground.

Heat started to build in her eyes when she saw Zabuza's stoned expression. Her chest went tight, and her skin tingled.

A steady stream of claps broke the silence, and Naruto, near to them and wet, slowly stood up, his blonde hair flat. They continued, and Sakura felt those few hot tears leave before she exhaled and stood as well, Sasuke rising next to her. Kakashi, not far from where Haku lay dead, looked in the direction of the clapping, too, and tensed; Tazuna was in a daze nearby him.

Zabuza stood frozen.

"Nice work, Zabuza," a slimy voice sounded, and now that the mist was clearing, Gatou and his collection of mercenaries was visible, taking up the entire end of the bridge. The squat man stopped clapping and chuckled. "Instead of taking out the Leaf nin, you took out one of your own."

Sakura's breath hitched, and her eyes instantly narrowed in on Zabuza, who flinched. Sasuke's hand suddenly grabbed the back of her collar, and slowly he ushered her to take a few steps back.

"It would have been better if it was after you killed the damn bridge builder and the Leaf nin, but, I suppose…" Gatou shrugged, smirking, "…I can always end them with these muscles," he said, gesturing to the horde of samurai behind him. "Our agreement is off."

"So…" Zabuza said, his voice deep and choked up, "…you intended for me to die anyway."

Gatou didn't have to say anything for the message to get across.

A low chuckle flooded the bridge, and the known demon straightened to his full height, his sword sliding across the ground and dragging Haku's blood. "Haku was a simple, but useful, tool. I thought I had taught him better, not to get in my way."

"_What_?" Naruto whispered in disbelief.

"I would have left, silently and peacefully, now that our agreement is off, but—"

"_No!_"

All heads swivelled to Naruto, whose horrified expression was twisting into anger.

"I can't believe you! Don't you know how Haku felt about you? How he was willing to sacrifice everything for you? It might've been just bad luck that he was killed by your blade, but I don't think he'd care as long as his death proved helpful and meaningful to you!"

Gatou snorted. "And it did! Now the Demon can find another more sharpened tool, and not one that would hurt their client and harm future agreements. See?" He held up his arm which was bandaged to his fingers. He spat at the ground.

Naruto growled and sharply inhaled.

Zabuza lifted his giant blade and rested it on his shoulder, staring directly at the blond standing a few feet in front of him, Haku's bloody corpse between. If Sakura had been at any other angle, she would have missed the look in his eyes when he glanced at his 'tools' body.

"You're not going to let him die in vain, are you?" Naruto shouted.

Gatou scoffed again. "He—"

"_You stay out of this_!"

He snapped his jaw closed and glared.

Zabuza stretched his neck. "Not letting him die in vain would have me kill you and the bridge builder, as per part of the contract. That agreement is no more, though, so I'm doing nothing but wasting my own time now," Zabuza rumbled, stomping forward and wrapping his meaty arm around Haku's waist and slinging him over his free shoulder.

The mist was almost gone.

"I don't care who my clients are or what they want. As long as I get the money out of it at the end, I'm content," Zabuza said, his chakra rising. With an icy glare over his shoulder at Gatou, he ended with, "But you are one annoying son of a bitch."

* * *

><p>Sakura sat hunched over on her stool in the bathroom, the retractable shower head in her hand. She was staring at it, but not really seeing it. Sometimes she'd focus on it, before zoning in on her feet and stretching her toes, spraying them once more with the water from the cap. She could feel goose bumps rising over her bare shoulders, and the uncomfortable feeling of her drying hair sticking to her back.<p>

Realising that the others would want their turn in the bath as well, Sakura sighed as she sat straight and re-sprayed herself, her hair a little more thoroughly to rid of the conditioner. She slipped into the deep, hot tub after, playing with her locks and bringing it over her shoulder.

It had been several hours since the threat had disappeared. Zabuza had killed Gatou and then disappeared without a trace, and the hired mercenaries, then without pay and seeking some sort of money, were driven off by the villagers. Naruto had been silent the entire walk home, in a slump about how Zabuza had treated the deceased Haku.

Sakura knew better though.

She may be back in time, and some things would have changed, but they were _events_, not feelings. Zabuza still felt the same for Haku, except he didn't need to cry to show that he saw the boy as more than a tool. And killing Gatou may have been an act of that, for all she knew.

She didn't, of course, because she didn't know the man, but… he was alive now.

God, the thought was scary. Haku was dead, but Zabuza was alive and roaming. Who knew what he'd be doing now. He could be anywhere, planning anything, and Sakura wasn't sure if she liked that better than him being dead – at least he wasn't a loose cannon, until he was resurrected in the future.

She huffed, the steam from the water billowing away.

She didn't know what to make of it, and neither had Kakashi. It was obvious to him that things went much differently, but there was barely any way for it to have gone similar.

What were the chances of a battle going exactly the same?

Zabuza had ended up using more of his environment – Sakura had learned – and used the scaffolding as a distraction. He used the surrounding water to his advantage, and he even threw off Haku's attacks and shattered his glass when he used the dragon water jutsu – a mistake.

The worst mistake, and just bad timing or luck, however you wanted to look at it, was Kakashi's positioning of his water clone between Zabuza and Haku (though Sakura wondered if that was intentionally or not); and when the Mist nin took that swing to wipe him out…

Sakura chuckled to herself without humour.

She had barely done anything, but look how far the ripple had expanded.

Her gut told her, though, that this ripple won't be brought upon again until the future – until the time Haku would be brought back (if he was brought back at all).

"_They do have some… consequence in the future," she whispered._

_Kakashi stared at her with lidded eyes, unimpressed with the difficult to understand information. How did she mean? Were they good consequences? Or bad? _

_He scratched his head and sighed loudly._

"_It's harder to plan for this sort of thing than I first thought," he admitted. "Because anything could go wrong at the last second – or too perfect."_

"_The future is, and will always be, a mystery," Sakura whispered. She hugged her legs harder, staring out the window and the seagull perched on top of a rotting stump on the jetty just outside. "The more people who know, the more it may change things. But the less people who know… the harder it is on me to remain sane."_

"_You are sane, Sakura," Kakashi accentuated._

_She didn't respond._

It never clicked that perhaps one of the two would survive, and if they did, what might happen. She really only considered the extremes on both sides.

Sakura sighed again and stood, stepping out of the tub and reaching for the white, clean towel Tsunami had left her.

Whatever the case, she had already changed a few things – minor or major, it didn't matter, in the long run – and while there was definitely a line that she didn't want to cross, there was no point in trying to keep things the same. She'd have to rely on gut instinct, because no matter how hard she'd try to keep a positive outcome, it would never be _just that way_. Ever. There'd always be the bad, to balance out the good.

The door suddenly opened, and Sakura looked up, blinking at her teacher standing at the door, her two teammates staring wide-eyed over his shoulder. Exhaling calmly, Sakura dropped her hands from her towel – now tied securely around her body – and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to start a scandal, Kakashi-sensei?"

Sasuke and Naruto sputtered, but the silver-head coolly looked over his shoulder and said, "Better get used to it, boys. We'll _all_ be camping together in the near future."

All three genin flinched.

* * *

><p>Sakura sighed for the billionth time since she had her little chat with Kakashi – about her predicament (and he added eloquently that he didn't know the boys were behind him when he opened the door, and thought she was dressed judging by how long she took; though she wondered) – and Naruto was still wincing like mad whenever she so much as made a gesture to pick up her chopsticks or tuck her loose hair behind her ear. Even Sasuke would stiffen, preparing to dodge for when she'd slap them for seeing on her in the bathroom.<p>

For so many years she was used to the boys (any of them when she was on missions) walking in on her, or seeing her caught in that state – and it wasn't like she was completely naked to their eyes anyway – that it was only afterwards did she realise she probably should have screamed hysterically and blamed them for everything. But it was a little late to do that, and if she did it now, it would just make Kakashi laugh his head off.

"Naruto," she started.

The blond jumped and dropped his bowl and chopsticks, the food spilling onto the table. Tsunami, Inari and Tazuna – who had a wounded leg and was now resting up – eyed him in confusion as he stuttered out a, "Yes?"

"Pass the salt, please?" Sakura asked.

He did so quickly, and dinner resumed as normal. None of them really wanted to talk about what had happened on the bridge, at least not until it sunk in, and so the silence felt both comfortable and uncomfortable.

After thinking about it for so long, Sakura realised that some good did come out of this mission after all. Not only did she get a clearer head about her situation, but Kakashi knew, too; Sasuke had his Sharingan still, and Naruto learned a bit more about what it was to be a ninja.

And she didn't quite know it then, but their teamwork had also improved; more than it had been the first time around.

They stayed for the next few days, until the bridge had been finished completely. In that time, Naruto had persuaded Inari to not hate on ninja so much, but Sakura doubted it was to the fullest extent as last time. Zabuza was still around, and no one was able to get rid of the instilled fear that the Demon might just come back to finish the job, despite the fact the contract was null – and Gatou was dead.

She stared up at the golden archway of the Great Naruto Bridge, relieved that it was still named that even if some things had changed. Naruto was practically bursting with tears – and so was Inari – and Sasuke was casually looking between the villagers who came to see them off and the trees behind them, clearly hinting that he didn't want to waste anymore time. Sakura didn't blame him, though. It was overcast, but there were still the streaks of sunlight that gave her better hope that it wouldn't rain too much on the way home.

Kakashi, meanwhile, was accepting a package of hot dumplings an elderly woman had made for him – Sakura wasn't quite sure why…

After waving sayonara to Tazuna and his family, they headed back to Konoha. Sakura's sight was straight ahead as she repeated Kakashi's' words of letting the Hokage know in her mind. In reality she wanted to have her heart set on trusting Kakashi's decision, but – just _but_.

"Hey! Give me one!"

"Why should I?" Kakashi coolly asked, lifting the bag of dumplings high above his head. Naruto jumped to reach them but was always a hand away from touching.

"It's called _sharing_, Kakashi-sensei," the blond griped, standing firm now and crossing his arms.

The silver-head stared pointedly at him as if asking if he was serious. This, coming from a boy who'd scab off of anyone willing to pay for one bowl of ramen and ending up having to pay for twenty? Mind you, he wasn't as bad as Chouji, but he was a Chouji for Team 7.

"Naruto," Sakura started.

He flinched again, and this time she heaved in annoyance. Both boys were hanging on to the fact that she hadn't told them off for something that had happened days ago, and were expecting her to lash out still.

Silly boys.

She turned around, catching him recoiling several paces back and hide behind Kakashi-sensei holding his dumplings above his head. "What? Should I strip now and walk the rest of the way home naked so you'd get used to it?" Sakura asked sarcastically.

Naruto's face went beet red – the images probably filling his mind – and Sasuke scoffed, looking away and closing his eyes. "You'd bring in more ninja if you do that. The last thing we need."

Sakura and Kakashi stared wide eyed at him for a second as he continued walking, completely oblivious to what his words just meant. Sakura felt a creepy chill go over her shoulders as she robotically followed, but Kakashi chuckled as he plonked his hand on Sasuke's head and ruffled his washed locks.

"I think I've been influencing you kids already," he stated.

Naruto and Sasuke blinked in confusion, then at each other, then turned to Sakura, and when they saw that her lips were pursed so tight she wouldn't talk, Kakashi chuckled again.

"Did you like what you saw the other day, Sasuke?" he cheekily asked and sent him a wink. The Uchiha double-taked and froze; Naruto stood, lost, wondering why Sakura was walking so far ahead of them, and why Sasuke was blushing to his roots.

"Wh-what's going on?" the blond asked.

"Nothing," Sasuke hissed, shoving Naruto forward to get moving.

Sakura knew that Kakashi was cackling evilly in his mind as he followed pleasantly behind the interesting group of genin. From the future mentally or not, Sakura was still his little genin, and so were the other two.

Maybe that part hadn't changed too much after all.

* * *

><p>The storm had headed in Wave's direction it seemed, as by the time they reached Konoha hours later, it was humid and warm but showed promise of finer weather in the next few days. It was also night, and the Team departed in different directions at the gate ("Hello!" Kotetsu and Izumo called excitedly, grinning) as soon as they entered; Naruto had mumbled goodnight to them before zombie-walking towards his rundown apartment. Sasuke just left.<p>

"I'll talk to the Hokage personally," Kakashi told Sakura just before she was about to leave. She stopped and half turned back.

"This late?" she queried softly. "Does the Hokage ever sleep?"

"Why? Didn't he later on in your time?" he questioned, though it was meant to be a playful joke.

Sakura half smiled. "Yeah, he did. He got a lot of sleep," she whispered. Whether he caught the under message or not, the rosette wasn't particularly bothered. Her heart clenched just saying those words, as it flashed a desperate reminder that the Chuunin Exams were less than four months away.

That was pretty much the turning point, wasn't it? Sasuke getting his curse mark and everything, the Hokage sacrificing himself… the Akatsuki coming into Konoha.

She shook those thoughts away before she gave herself another headache, and without another word, waved goodbye to her sensei – staring wonderingly after her – and clopped down the empty street towards home.

Kakashi sagged his shoulders as soon as she disappeared from sight, and with a juvenile wave to the two best friends waiting under the shelter at the gates, he turned to the Hokage tower and disappeared. He was at the bottom of the tall building in minutes, staring up at its grand stature and warm colours of its stone and wood.

He walked upstairs to the front door, informed the guard, and entered, closing the door softly behind him. The Hokage was behind his desk smoking his pipe, but also casually leafing through his documents for the morrow – it was about midnight. The windows were open to let out the smoke, but it didn't hide the ashy scent at all as the Jounin stepped in closer.

"Good evening, Kakashi," Sarutobi greeted, nodding his head. "Something the matter? You came through the door."

The silver-head paused before chuckling wryly to himself. Of course… the window.

"You could say that," he answered.

"Your mission?"

"Part of it."

"Hm."

Sarutobi eyed the Jounin before putting down all his papers and watching the other man closely, nodding his head to gesture to begin with what was on his mind. Kakashi swayed a little, eyes drifting to the side, checking to make sure that the guard outside the door was far enough to not hear what he was about to talk about.

"The mission was successful, but it wasn't without interest," he began.

And he explained, then, about Zabuza and Haku, and all through this Sarutobi wondered why all of this couldn't be just put into a report if it was just that – a report of their mission. There was clearly something more that Kakashi hadn't mentioned first, so he waited patiently but eagerly in his seat for it to be voiced.

"You sound unhappy with the result," the Hokage noted.

"Not unhappy. Unsure."

"Why?"

Kakashi sighed. "That's the big news. Lord Hokage… what are your views on Time Travel?"

"Little, but I'm open," he replied.

"I have reason to believe that… Sakura Haruno isn't who she says she is…"

There was a short, quiet pause as the older man tried to decode the further message beneath Kakashi's words. The outer was simple: Sakura Haruno was believed to be from the future. The layer beneath: Sakura's scores, Team 7's training and mission, their overall future.

"It… would certainly make sense…" the Hokage began, his shoulder tense and his laced fingers tight against each other. "…but I'm inclined to wonder as to how it first happened, and why. What does she intend?"

Kakashi, for a moment, was surprised, but then understood that he had the same thought as him; it made sense, but it was definitely too big to swallow.

"Nothing, Lord Hokage," he answered. "If anything, it's to go home."

"Go home?" he repeated. "The likelihood of time travel is thread thin as it is, but to return?"

"She's not going to dismiss the thought completely. It took her a month to believe that she was here, and not under a Genjutsu," Kakashi said. "A small part of her still thinks so."

"Understandable." He sighed heavily. "Such strain on a young body. Would her brain even be capable of accepting a larger mentality than the one it previously had?"

Kakashi started. He hadn't thought of that. He hadn't because she seemed fine – sort of – but he realised that in a certain way she unconsciously realised it to by mentioning her sanity. It was farfetched still, but it was a definite cause of interest.

The two men sat in silence, both pondering what to say or how to say it.

"Who decided to inform me?" the Hokage asked.

"I did," Kakashi stated honestly. "There are repercussions of too many knowing, but I felt it safer. However…"

He dragged off his sentence, grey eyes lidding and gaze dropping to the ground.

"However?"

Tiredly, groggily, he raised his head to meet the withered old man in front of him – but only in exterior; in spirit he was as young as a genin.

"However, I have reason to believe that you will die."

"Everyone dies, Kakashi," the Hokage said, smiling and chuckling to himself.

Regardless, he got the message. It wasn't just dying, but dying soon – or killed. This presented a whole new barrel of fish.

"Will you want to meet with her?" Kakashi asked.

"No," Sarutobi said. "Not yet. I think some time first. For both her, and for myself, to accept this outcome more."

"Forgive me, Lord Hokage, but time is relative."

The older man laughed, coughing hoarsely and almost dropping his pipe from his lips. Kakashi would have smiled had it been any other occasion, but tonight he was just too tired to do that.

Another moment had passed in where the Hokage sat thinking, and Kakashi stood silently.

"I was aware that something was different with young Haruno," Sarutobi eventually spoke, scratching his bearded chin and tapping his pipe a little to sift the tobacco. "Iruka had come to me, concerned about her well-being. One or two other ninja, specifically ones that had interacted with her before and after the graduation, have noticed something.

"Even her parents had requested to speak to me in private, however I directed them to Iruka, who told me of their concerns. It was no secret that something had happened to her, provided you knew her."

"Ino Yamanaka knows too," Kakashi remembered. "She was the first."

"And how did she take it?"

"About the same as us, but I wonder."

"About?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Who understands a teenage girl's mind."

"You're one step closer than before," the Hokage reminded. "…No matter Haruno's real mental age. She will be going through her teenage years again, something she may numb slightly by experience, but not completely. Her body works on its own – even better, given her sharp instincts that you told me about."

"And what should happen to her now?" Kakashi asked, drawing his shoulders back higher to stand straighter. His flak jacket was feeling heavier, the last week beginning to take its toll on his body.

"Let her live like she has been. I imagine that she's experimenting herself with the water, to see what she can or can't do. She'd be smart enough to not go too out there before we speak face to face," the Hokage said. "Let her be at peace for that little bit more."

"She'd like to take a step up in Medical Ninjutsu, I imagine," Kakashi told. "It's simple to guess that she trained in this area in her later years, but I wonder by whom? Anyway, she knows of her limit, and how to achieve that quickly to the point it was before. She plans to experiment in other areas; parts of the Ninja Arts she hadn't focused on last time."

"She will be quite a strong kunoichi if everything goes smoothly," the Hokage muttered.

Kakashi paused. "And you're at ease with what has been said tonight?"

Sarutobi groaned as he shuffled in this seat. "The only thing I'm at ease about is this pipe and a warm bed to sleep in soon enough."

The Jounin smiled under his mask at those words, before bowing fluidly and departing out the window, Sarutobi chuckling after him.

There goes another stone.


	8. The Start Of The Beginning

_The end is a little… bad… but I needed to begin the Exams. And sorry about the cliche chapter title, but it suited well. :D (And I'm working on ROT, in case the readers who read it are wondering.) That aside, Merry Christmas, folks. Hope you enjoyed it, and will, this!_

_Thank you for your amazing amazing support._

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER EIGHT—<strong>  
><em>The Start Of The Beginning<em>

* * *

><p>Kakashi stood leaning against the fence post, fanning himself with a white fan that the owner of the farm had given him for the heat. His eyes were trained on his precious kids fixing a hole in the roof of the house, Sakura and Naruto banging away on top with the hammer and needles, and Sasuke passing up the planks of wood and going inside every now and then to see they were doing it properly – and hounding on them if they hadn't.<p>

It was hot, exactly the way it should have been had there not been a rogue wave of rain two weeks ago, on their mission, but now that was passed and their old weather was back – if a little humid in the evenings, with a dash of lightning in the distance.

Sakura, after the first few days of hearing nothing from neither Kakashi nor the Hokage, had settled in a little more into her body and life. Interacting with her team on a regular basis after the first major mission, and with the people around her, was still so very weird – she doubted she'd ever get over it, and she swore to herself that was the last time she'd think that – but it was getting easier.

She didn't look at Sasuke with bitterness or anything of the like that showed what she had experienced. She didn't look mournfully at her dad, and actually spoke to her parents like a child would while sharing their day – but not all the time. The relationships she had by no means was the same it was last time, but it was good to feel that familiarity, that base, was still there.

In fact, life was almost peaceful – almost. Save for the fact that Zabuza was out there, and that the Chuunin Exams were coming up, things were fine. Those two facts, though, was enough to keep her worried.

She hammered harder and harder on the nails, Naruto keeping the wood in place, sweating buckets as he glanced worriedly between her face and the nail. He swallowed uncomfortably.

"Uh, Sakura…"

_Fwap!_

"Nyaaargh!" Naruto shrilled.

Sakura whipped her head up in time to see the blond close his mouth, staring in confusion at his hand.

"What, Naruto?" she asked, curious.

"Uh…" He scratched his head nervously with his free hand and tried to dismiss the topic. He had been so ready for the pain to come if he distracted her and angled the hammer on his fingers, that a cry left his lips anyway when it hadn't happened.

Sakura smiled largely, before chuckling. "You really think I would smash your fingers, Naruto?" she asked, her grin going a little goofy as amusement overtook.

Naruto swallowed and nodded his head in relief, sighing. She laughed and patted him on the shoulder. His balance went completely out the window with the shove and he ended up rolling down the side of the roof – Sakura panicking at the sight – and off it, landing on Sasuke in a heap on the grass.

Kakashi stopped fanning himself.

"Naruto, you dumbass," Sasuke grunted beneath the orange-clad ninja. The blond groaned as he mumbled something about his back

Sakura, above, just burst out laughing, falling back on her haunches on the slope of the roof and accidentally hitting a pale of hay and sending it down towards them. Hay showered the two boys completely, the bucket dropping on Naruto's head with a loud bang before hitting Sasuke's legs and then rolling onto the grass.

The rosette laughed harder, now lying on the roof as both boys groaned in pain.

Kakashi started fanning again.

"Sakura!" they yelled.

Through the midst of her chortling, she shouted, "Having a roll in the hay, eh?"

Kakashi slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

An hour later and the Team was heading back to Konoha from the outlying farms, Sasuke and Naruto both groaning every now and then as they pulled a muscle – though Naruto was certainly more injured; his bruises were already showing. Kakashi stayed back, reading his book, and Sakura was smiling as she walked in between the two. Why? Because since her comment, neither male could look at each other with turning the other way and barfing.

"I can't believe you said that," Sasuke stated.

"Well, you have kissed once," Sakura replied flippantly, tilting her head to the side.

Sasuke paled and Naruto exclaimed, "That was an accident!" He waved his arms in the air urgently.

"Whatever," the Uchiha snapped. "The point is, your comments have been a little more dirty recently."

Sakura eyed him. "How recent?"

"Enough," he replied. "And then there's your skill."

He gazed at his hand, remembering of when she had healed a small cut he had received a few days ago, from when they were helping Team 8 build a house. It was a clean cut, made from Naruto who was swinging a saw around, unprepared for its weight, but she had been there to heal it. It was known now, in the Team, that Sakura was training in the medical field, and while Sasuke was not expert in it, he wondered if she was learning things too fast to be normal.

Or maybe he was just suspicious, curious or even jealous?

And their spars.

Had anyone walked up to him near the end of school and told him that Sakura was a good sparring partner, he would have stared at them like they were an idiot and walked off, dismissing it; but it was true. He had noticed it. Maybe something in her brain sparked a new kind of dedication from her, as the first time they had sparred after the Wave mission – while he knew that she was stronger than he first thought – he had underestimated her.

He had expected a streak of wins in their sparring matches, against both members, but the wins and losses were almost even for all of them – even Naruto, and the thought was positively disturbing. He had a unique way of winning a battle, but his blockheadedness was cringe-worthy, no matter what.

Sasuke Uchiha was glad, but annoyed, that his Team surpassed his expectations.

"I do train in my own time, Sasuke," Sakura reminded him; Naruto started to hang back around Kakashi, probably begging for something, like paying for dinner – it was nearing evening.

When he didn't answer, the rosette shrugged and continued on.

"Maybe we should train as a Team more often," she suggested. "Kakashi doesn't have to be there all the time, does he?"

"Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, halting.

"Hm?" Sakura turned to him as he stopped and frowned. "That is his name."

His onyx eyes narrowed. "Since when did you drop the sensei?"

Sakura inwardly flinched. "When I'm not talking to him," she replied coolly. "It's a bad habit that started from somewhere. Should stop, right?"

Sasuke stared at her for a few more pointed seconds before walking on; she followed.

"Hm. Maybe."

There was a brief silence.

"Why don't you cling to anymore?"

"What? You want me to?" Sakura asked, then wrapped her hands around his arm and cried, "Sasuke! Will you please go on a date with me?"

Mentally she cringed, as that sort of sugary voice hadn't left her voice for years. Sultry, yes, but sugary, hell no.

"Gah!" he sputtered, leaning way and pushing away at her arms. Sakura clung tighter to prove a point. "Get off me! Get off!"

She let go with ease, taking a few more steps away from him to keep a distance. "Well? Want me to?"

Sasuke shuddered as he duck-walked ahead of her, intent on ignoring the rosette completely.

"I'll take that as a no," she muttered, her smile dropping. Oh boy, that brought back memories. A weird thought that they all happened in one life time.

"Hey, Sakura!" Naruto called, sprinting up to her; she saw the clouds of dust as he skidded to a halt beside her, hands gripping his backpack. "What was that all about? Why were you clinging to Sasuke? You haven't done that in _ages_!"

She looked at him. "Is it bad that I haven't?" she asked.

Naruto wildly shook his head. "No way! I dunno what happened Sakura, but I like this nicer you." He grinned at her.

She felt her chest flutter at those words, and let a peaceful smile meet her lips.

"Maybe it's a sign that I have a chance with you, after all!"

"Forget it."

* * *

><p>Two weeks later and Sakura found herself standing in front of the Hokage, eyes raking over the withered old man who was still so strong. She stood solid, hands by her side, dressed in casual clothes of biker shorts and a tank top, her hair in a tight bun atop her head; Kakashi stood beside her. The Hokage seemed to be inspecting her as well over his laced fingers, his pipe not dancing between his lips like it usually was. Sakura didn't think he had looked him in the eyes at all since whatever time it was before he died.<p>

"Let's skip what we already know," Sarutobi began, taking off his red hat and setting it on the table. Sakura nodded nervously. "The Chuunin Exams are coming. My gut instincts tell me that at such a big event, something is going to happen. Did I have this feeling last time?"

Sakura frowned. "If you did I didn't know about it. I'm assuming this instinct is only there because of my presence."

He shrugged. "Anything can happen, now that we know things are a little different."

"Different for you, yes, but maybe it was meant to play out like this for you," she suggested.

"Like an Alternate Universe?" Kakashi questioned, tilting his head at her as he rounded the room casually and leaned against a wall.

"Something like that. Following your suggestion though, it's something I shouldn't dwell on," Sakura said. "It doesn't play much relevance, because I am here, and if it was my timeline, then it's far too late to change it."

"As much as I'd like to be slippery with our words, perhaps bluntness is necessary if anything major is going to happen during this time," the Hokage put out, altering the topic. "I have a village to take care of. If you speak words that will take time to decode, I may lose this village in a heartbeat."

Sakura swayed on the spot, thinking. "But Lord Hokage, being as slippery as a snake can get you into places that no one would suspect of you."

Kakashi and Sarutobi looked at her for a second, and the older man heaved a sigh, shading his wrinkled brow as he closed his eyes. Kakashi lifted his gaze to the ceiling in quiet disbelief, crossing his arms.

So… Orochimaru was going to infiltrate?

Sarutobi had to admit that she got the message across pretty bluntly without actually speaking those words. But he wondered if she said it to avoid too much change, or because she didn't trust someone might be listening. He was sure no one was; he made certain of it. Jutsu's lined the walls, keeping all words in and silent. They were not going to be repeated in public – ever.

"And what of the prey the snake is seeking?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura glanced at him. "Depends on what prey you mean. The young rat, or the old mouse? One will end in buckets of blood, the other a mark."

Silence filled the room as they tried to quickly figure out her words.

The young rat, or old mouse?

Two targets. One young, one old. The old was clearly Sarutobi, that much they could understand, especially with her past hint that he got a lot of sleep. But why a mouse? Is he not the main objective of Orochimaru's mission? Maybe not. A mouse is of a smaller size than a rat, so maybe the mouse was an afterthought; a bonus or treat for the snake.

Then the rat is the bigger mission, and it is young.

Sarutobi had an inkling of why Orochimaru would come, but had hoped that it was mainly to get rid of him. He knew now, that while Orochimaru was after someone else, that he'd destroy him – the Third Hokage – and Konoha along with it; hence the buckets of blood she referenced.

Then the mark? The rat – Sasuke – got the mark. What mark? Had Orochimaru done a lot more research in another area for this to be brought up?

"How do the prey move?" the Hokage asked slowly, after a moment.

Sakura paused, thinking. "The mouse may be old, but it thinks before it attacks, before it's every move. The rat is the same, but hate for the free black bird above makes it blind."

Kakashi fought the urge to bury his head into his hands as Sakura blinked back the tears and inhaled sharply, looking away from the old gaze of the Hokage.

There. That was about as blunt as she could get it, while also giving them another parcel of information that she knew about, and that they may too but not open for a while.

Sarutobi sagged into his seat and closed his eyes again, bowing his head. That information was… big. And—

Enough.

Thinking of the words to hide what was going to happen was too much. They needed to ask much more blunt questions to get the answers they wanted afterwards. However, Sakura continued…

"The rat will be cursed, and will flee from the mouse and the blood," she whispered, throat now thick as her eyes reddened. She turned her gaze to Kakashi and looked at him sorrowfully. "He won't come back," she croaked, voice cracking as a sob tried to break through. "He will be too far gone in the shadows of the forest, to come back to the clearing; to the sun."

She eyed him for a few more seconds before she sobbed once, then twice, covering her face with her hands as she cried but tried hard to stop. Her shoulders shook with each tremble, and each time it happened she scolded herself for doing all this crying again.

Kakashi and Sarutobi let the girl cry to herself and calm down, and instead looked to each other. Words did not really need to be spoken for the order to be given, but it would still cause a huge ripple that both of them knew that Sakura couldn't calm.

A decision had to be made, of whether they'd let Sasuke Uchiha gain this 'curse mark' or not, and whether or not Sakura Haruno was prepared to face the outcomes. It wouldn't be just her who'd have to face them, it would be everybody, but nobody else knew of the possible future.

And then Itachi…

"Sakura," the Hokage called softly. The rosette lowered her hands slowly. "What are your thoughts of Sasuke never getting this curse mark?"

Honestly? She felt as though her head was about to explode.

* * *

><p>Time passed slowly for Sakura. She, the Hokage and Kakashi had been finetuning some of their plans for the Chuunin Exams, that Sakura couldn't help but feel nervous about. It felt as though as soon as the event started, her life would end or something, because she couldn't see past that point. What's more, their plans for the Exams weren't exactly stronghold.<p>

She had been given a mission of stopping Orochimaru getting his hands – teeth – on Sasuke, if he ever got through to that point. The two men didn't know exactly when it was going to happen, but a hunch told them in the second round, in the forest. It was the likeliest place for something like that. However, before then, they'd see if they could locate Orochimaru, and try to avoid letting him in.

There. That was where her anxiety grew. If they did that, then he might get in another way for all she knew, making it harder for her to find out who he might be. She had voiced this concern and was met with definite understanding, and after a few days of discussing, they agreed to not do anything and let things take its course and hopefully it will be as similar to what Sakura initially experienced.

Fingers crossed.

That was all their planning had come to. They did share coded thoughts of what the possible outcomes would be of it, and what they'd need to prepare for, but it was all up in the air.

And why were they still talking in hints? Because Sakura admitted that it'd be best that nothing big was divulged before the Exams, to try and keep the days leading up to it as close as possible. Talking about the past, however, was something she wasn't as concerned about.

The matter of Zabuza had come to light a month before the Exam – amongst the other happenings of Sakura's life, such as becoming sooner friends with Team 8, and experiencing odd tension between her and Ino.

Sakura did tell them of what originally happened, and hinted further that they had played a part in the future – to the befuddlement of Kakashi and Sarutobi – but other than that, not much was said.

Three weeks left…

It was night when Sakura was heading back to her home, ready for a scolding from her mother for being out so late – she always did this whenever the clock passed nine. Dark clouds hung overhead, half concealing the near full moon. It wasn't quiet by all means as she passed through the food district of Konoha, smelling all the savoury and sweet scents of the food she walked by; it also served a reminder that she stunk from sweat and grime from her late night training.

As she got closer to home, the sounds of the nightlife were growing quieter, and Sakura became more aware of the sounds of night. She suddenly stopped, catching a soft, feminine voice speaking, squeaking. She frowned, changing her direction to follow the nervous pitch, the words quickly becoming clearer amidst the simple maze of houses.

"—hungry?" the female whispered.

Sakura flinched. _Hinata_? She recognised the girl's chakra, as well as a second presence.

"You talk less than I do," the girl told the second, and Sakura ducked down when her voice sounded much too close. She stole to the corner of a building and peeked around it, spotting the Hyuuga female on the roof of a refurnished dojo, her form hunched to show her timid personality.

The second person was someone who niggled Sakura's senses as someone she was familiar with, but as soon as she saw his outline against the shining moon, his short, shaggy hair gently blowing in the warm wind, Sakura wondered what the hell was going.

Why was Hinata talking to Gaara?

"Go away," he whispered hoarsely.

Sakura felt a chill go over her shoulders at the remembrance of how bloodthirsty Gaara was in the beginning, and she suspiciously eyed his gourd that hadn't shaken once. Hinata sighed, shrugging.

"You looked lonely," she answered, still not leaving.

Sakura saw him stare at Hinata for a moment before standing sharply, surprising the dark-haired female, and started to walk away. He was gone within moments, leaving Hinata there, alone, until she finally decided that she would leave also, and jumped down from the sides of the building. Sakura hid again, feverishly trying to recall a time where Gaara or Hinata had ever mentioned talking to each other before the Chuunin Exams, but she came up blank.

Was this a new development? But… how did it lead up to it?

She walked home nervous that night, and was pretty much deaf to her parent's concern over dinner – and then a shower. She realised then that she hadn't officially met Gaara yet either, but it seemed someone above had heard her, as that was the highlight event of the following day.

Yet things had turned out differently.

She hadn't forced Naruto or Konohamaru into a run this time, and so it was merely a simple standoff of stares between her team and Temari and Kankuro when they met in one of the back streets. Sasuke didn't have to do anything outrageously cool to pique Gaara's interest when he arrived, even though the Uchiha was completely hooked on fighting the red-head in the future already.

She figured, then, that perhaps she should say something to introduce each other. The fact that no one had asked for names was nagging at her.

"You're from Sand, aren't you?" she asked all of a sudden, and the three siblings stopped, turning back to face them.

Sasuke and Naruto glanced at her, as if asking why the hell she wanted them to stay longer – even the three Academy students were staring at her like she was an idiot.

Temari scoffed. "No duh." She flashed her headband to prove a point.

Sakura remained nonplussed. The Sand-female had always been brusque and rough, that she had rubbed Sakura sore til she was used to it. She was a nice girl if you ever got passed her defences, and anyone who was willing to help Gaara was always put higher in her books.

Thinking of her mission, Sakura put down her pride for knowledge to ask, "Why are you here?"

Kankuro scoffed. "You seriously just asked us that question?"

Naruto and Sasuke oozed agitation by those words, the former clenching his fists. Sakura expected that sort of reaction from them, but as long as they didn't do anything then she wouldn't touch them.

Temari grinned mockingly. "Obviously you're not going to be apart of the Chuunin Exams if you haven't heard about it by now!"

Naruto eyelids fluttered in confusion as he relaxed his posture. "Chuunin Exams? What's that?"

Sasuke huffed. "So it's here already," he muttered.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, making Sakura, who saw this, wonder whether she should have asked Kakashi to let them know of it sooner. Speaking of which, she hadn't actually told Kakashi and the Hokage that the whole of the Rookie 9 had passed. It slipped her mind, believing it to be something that was trivial and iron-sure to happen, but would it still? Would Iruka still come and test them? Would Asuma and Kurenai still let their teams enter?

She quenched that sprouting panic in her throat quickly.

"Chuunin Exams, Boss," Konohamaru said again to Naruto, tugging his orange sleeve. The blond looked down at him. "It's an exam Genin take to get promoted to Chuunin."

His blue eyes lit instantly. "Woah! Does that mean I can take it?"

"If you have to ask that question, then clearly not," Kankuro snidely remarked.

Naruto froze. "What did you say?" he asked slowly.

Sakura grabbed his shoulder tightly and told him to calm down.

"We've wasted enough time," Gaara's gravelly voice cut in, and it was like only then Temari and Kankuro realised that he was still there, waiting. They both flinched and apologised in weak voices and had taken a few steps up beside him until he suddenly turned around.

Sakura tensed her jaw at the sight of those sea-green eyes boring into her, and in her peripheral vision she saw that Sasuke had noticed.

"And you…" Gaara continued. "Stay out of my business, unless you want to die."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Naruto shouted, crossing his arms in the air above his head. "What did she ever do to you?"

Gaara looked to Naruto impassively as the blond glared at him in contained anger. That frustration flared when the red-head coolly looked away and muttered that they had to leave. Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi had to hold Naruto back by his jacket so he wouldn't follow the Sand-nin.

"What was that about, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, sauntering to her with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his white shorts.

"A mistake," she answered, watching Gaara and his siblings until they were gone from sight before meeting the Uchiha's stern gaze.

"He met you?"

"I walked passed him."

Sasuke paused before nodding unconvinced. "Naruto, cool it," he said to his teammate.

The blond sagged in the grip of his three younger friends and sighed loudly in irritation, running a hand through his shaggy hair. His stomach growled loudly, and he bashfully put a hand to it, patting it comfortingly.

"Man, I'm hungry," he whined.

"Foods got to wait, Naruto," the Uchiha said. "Let's go find Kakashi-sensei, and see about getting into the Chuunin Exams."

* * *

><p>Three weeks had flown by, and by then Sakura felt oddly a little more relaxed when she heard that the rest of the Rookie 9 were participating as well. Sasuke and Naruto were almost overconfident in passing the Exams, especially after the little escapade of Iruka, disguised, attacking them out of no where – Sakura swore Naruto was even on the look out for the nin that Iruka hid before the day of the first exam.<p>

She couldn't believe it had been nearly six months that she had lived here, and she couldn't believe she had agreed to prevent Sasuke getting the Curse Mark.

_The_ Curse Mark.

Back in her time after the war had finished and all of Orochimaru's notes had been found from his multiple hideouts, scientists in Konoha and the other countries – the alliance having been in effect still – had studied his experiments. They managed to find out that the Curse Mark was literally like a drug.

It gave the victim insane power, but it more than just that. The venom Orochimaru used to create the mark actually drugged the victim, twisting their mind into craving more and more of the gifted power.

Sakura had to admit that it made sense. A small part of her always wondered if all of Sasuke's actions were truly his own, or perhaps an effect from an initial catalyst. The venom blended well with his anger and hate and thirst for revenge, that it did more than fuel all of that but also made him insane.

So him not getting the Curse Mark… God, what will happen then? What will his personality be like if he was 'clean'? The thought was… so weird, but yet she was eager to see it.

Everything was going smoothly (except for her burning curiosity as to why Hinata had spoken to Gaara; maybe she was just passing by and saw him alone. She was a Good Samaritan after all) until an hour before they had to meet the rest of the Examinees.

Naruto was late.

They were supposed to meet at eleven am and the blond still had to show up. This was making both Sasuke and Sakura nervous as the former paced from the Uchiha to a power pole on the corner of the street, one of their usual meeting spots. Sakura didn't doubt that part of her anxiety was most definitely, if not all, the impending mission, but it was made worse if her team couldn't even get in! What sort of reason could the Hokage give to the proctors and other villages if having her in the Forest of Death was essential?

She clenched her fist, muttering, "Where _is_ he?" darkly. Sasuke was impatiently tapping a finger against his elbow.

"Hey! Don't leave without me!"

Both whirled around to see Naruto speeding towards them like a bull. He had barely skidded to a halt in front of them before Sasuke ("You're late," he muttered in his ear) grabbed the back of his orange jacket and yanked him behind as he and Sakura headed for the start of the Exams.

When they breached the second floor, Sakura paused momentarily, a memory pricking in her brain but not surfacing as she looked down the corridor.

"Sakura! Come on!" Sasuke hissed as he, too, grabbed her wrist and pulled her up the stairs.

The Uchiha only let his teammates go when they slowed to a halt out the entrance, seeing Kakashi push himself off the wall and pocket his book as he casually walked up to them. Naruto was panting like a goat, his blue eyes wide as it seemed to sink from the site of their sensei that they were about to enter the exam. Sakura exhaled somewhat calmly as the silver-head moved his grey eyes over her as he swept over his team.

He then placed his hands on Naruto and Sakura's outer shoulder before pushing them into Sasuke. Fondly, he murmured, "Luck," before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"What the hell was that about?" Naruto asked as he whacked at the smoke, coughing.

Sakura stared for a moment at the thick air until narrowing in on the door in the distance. She could hear the medium murmur of dozens of shinobi congregated in the room beyond, and she quickly realised that their late coming had cut a few things that had happened the last time; Lee, Neji…

She swallowed.

"Come on," Sasuke huffed as he stepped forward and opened both doors at once, making Naruto roll his eyes as he muttered something about him being dramatic.

Instantly a few people looked their way with angled eyes, but Sasuke coolly ignored them as he spied the rest of the genin graduates and ghosted over to them casually, Naruto trailing behind as Sakura stood somewhat stoically at the door.

Oh boy.


	9. The Leap Of Faith

_Hello. :3 I am alive. I will stay alive. I'm committed to this story, and your contribution is just amazing. I'm still getting a number of favourites and alerts and reviews, and the only way I can thank you for still reading this is updating it. So ta-dah! Please don't abandon me. T.T_

_Still, if there's any criticism or complaints, please tell me where and how, otherwise I can't improve. Thank you!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER NINE—<strong>  
><em>The Leap Of Faith<em>

* * *

><p>The Written Exam was close to the same as last time.<p>

The questions were exact that she managed to answer all of them rather quickly, despite the fact that she knew they didn't have to fill out any of it to pass. She did it anyway, though, only because it took her mind, briefly, off of what was going to happen next.

And because two rows back from her, to the left, was the woman that Orochimaru had killed and disguised himself as. The rosette didn't know when he had done it, but judging by the fact that she was concentrating far too much on her Exam, it seemed likely that the Sannin hadn't yet gone through his plan.

Green eyes roaming over the shinobi outlining the walls, Sakura paused in her pencil-tapping when one of them narrowed his eyes at her and she stopped completely, putting her pencil down and glancing at the clock.

It had been forty-five minutes since they had all entered the room, and back then she had been looking forward to doing the test if it got her out of that stuffy and nauseating room. In that room, the eyes of so many ninja were on her so many times, probing for her defences and weaknesses, trying to read her movements and habits in the little distance it took to leave the entrance to walk to the others.

She couldn't remember if she felt it last time, but now she was all too aware of how many people were looking at the Genin crowding in a corner, and she realised, belatedly, that the attention they were getting was mainly because shinobi stuck with their own teams. They were all opponents, and the missed encounter with Team Gai was a sharp reminder to Sakura that this relationship was something she hadn't rekindled yet.

Neji was his old cold self, and Tenten was trying to warn him not to start any fights with the Uchiha – which then started some side arguments involving Naruto and Kiba with being ignored – and Lee was himself.

It was actually a relief.

As soon as she saw the three coming over, and Neji began asking Sasuke some questions, she was relieved to see that all of Lee's attention was on her. He was floating by the male Huuga still, but his eyes were wide in that similar expression to the one he had made last time he first saw her.

She couldn't help that smile, either, when he dropped his bandaged hand in front of her, shouted his name over the medium din of the room, and proclaimed his interest to her. It was the second time someone had smothered that bundle of nerves in her stomach, the first time being Hinata who complimented her braided hair.

This snagged the attention of the others; Naruto's jaw was hanging open as he grappled with Kiba, Sasuke was trying to pay attention both conversations at the same, and Ino looked utterly confused with Sakura's interaction to him – the rest hadn't reacted.

The rosette didn't blush. She just let her smile stay as she shook his hand and introduced herself. And while Tenten looked completely happy with this acceptance, Neji wasn't, and had ended the meeting quickly; Sakura felt it was because he didn't want his team to falter if one of the members held concern for an opponent.

Sakura wasn't insulted. It was how the Hyuuga thought. It was how _that_ Hyuuga thought, at least around this time. And it suddenly made her realise that through all her worry of the future, of her mission, she hadn't pondered – almost at all – about any of the Genin's pasts; but that all changed when the thought entered her mind.

By now she felt nearly numb to any of them that either died or were injured indefinitely.

Time didn't heal all wounds, but it _could_ serve as anaesthesia.

And it certainly didn't help her boredom right now.

A flash of black caught her attention and she glanced to see Kankuro leave the room with a proctor. Naruto three rows in front of her looked like he was convulsing, and Hinata appeared genuinely concerned about him as she tried not to show that she was watching him in case of getting caught. Still Sakura saw an eagle-eyed ninja write something on their clipboard, and she was certain that was the Hyuuga's name.

A sudden shout from a proctor and three ninja left with frustration hanging overhead. There hadn't been an elimination in quite a while, but after that, three more teams were disqualified; one of them threw a few choice words at Ibiki, which Sakura tuned out quickly.

Then Question 10 came. And more left. And then Naruto's hand rose, and for a split-second she felt a spark of paranoia that maybe he will just quit – just maybe. As soon as he slammed his palm down, though, Sakura knew that she was a fool for even thinking that again.

It was smooth sailing from there, when they were told they passed, to the explanations, to the sudden crashing entrance of Anko, to the ushering of everyone outside to a third room where stations were set up around a middle long table full of food.

Suspicions arose from shinobi of other countries, but it was explained by the impatient Anko that the next test required a full stomach and for each team to head to a station and pack the essentials they'd use for a 'short' mission. For every ninja it was different. Some packed as much as they could til their pockets were bulging, of kunai or smoke bombs, whatever they use, while others prefer to have as minimal as possible because it suited their expertise best.

Sakura found herself taking command at this point as she and Sasuke stood at their labelled station – each table had the same thing for every team – while Naruto was busy trying to scramble as much food as he could before Chouji took it all.

Sakura pushed two bottles of water back, earning a sceptical look from Sasuke.

"In reality, it's unfair that we are not shown the map of our 'mission'," Sakura started, pushing some extra ration packets away as well. "Before every mission – like the Wave mission – you may have the chance to plan a route to a destination, and therefore get a feel for what sort of terrain you are trekking through."

"And so we could plan for supplies," Sasuke caught on, nodding. "So there's bound to be a lake wherever we're going for this mission. There has to be. And food too; fauna. I should have thought of this before Wave."

Sakura smiled. "Right. Mind you, that's our hoping." Sort of.

Sasuke scoffed. "Naruto's going throw a fit."

"He'll live." She swallowed. _Hopefully. If things go well._

Naruto joined them soon after and reacted almost exactly to how Sasuke predicted. He was annoyed and complained, but grudgingly started to see the logic of their planning before suddenly loving the idea of how his team was so organised and smart. Somewhere in there, Sakura knew there was a compliment for Sasuke as well.

By the end, Sakura had her hip-pouch half full of first aid and a few kunai and shuriken, with others she planned to hide on her body when there was more privacy. Ration packets were split evenly amongst them in case they split up, and the smaller bottles of water were used instead to fit in their bags.

Sasuke and Sakura managed to grab some fruit off the table just before all remaining ninja had to follow Anko to the next destination; the Forest of Death. It was only when they arrived that the rosette realised that Orochimaru had joined them sometime along the way. She acted oblivious to this knowledge.

The towering, ominous trees made a chill travel up her spine as she flashbacked to the first time. Her memory was vivid, matching exactly to the dark green trails of moss on the thick trees, to the cawing of a wrangled bird somewhere in the distance or the soft hiss of a large snake that coiled its way up an outer trunk.

Somewhere to the side of her she heard Ino gag.

Sakura couldn't help but agree.

* * *

><p>Naruto groaned to himself as he paced up and down beside the rusty silver gate, patting his stomach comfortingly. Sasuke stood solid not too far, facing the entrance so that as soon as the gates open he was in there. His dark eyes shifted to Sakura who was busy slipping kunai into hidden places on her body, before she stopped and re-did her bag to hide the scroll that she was in possession of.<p>

He bristled, excited and eager for this test of survival; too much so that he had begun to tap his fingers impatiently on his forearm.

"Hurry up," Naruto complained. He whirled around. "What do we do as soon as we get in there? Do we find food?"

A sensible question.

"Water as soon as possible, but we'd have to be careful," Sasuke answered. "Chances are other groups will have reached it before we have, and set up traps for those late. We'd have to be careful, so watch where you're going, okay?"

Naruto huffed, glaring at the Uchiha. "Why're you looking at me when you say that?"

Sasuke ignored him, making the blond growl in frustration. "The lake will hopefully contain fish, but in the case it doesn't, we should keep our eyes out for other fauna. The map of the forest doesn't show much, but I have a feeling that the trees don't line with the lake, which means we'll be out in the open."

"We can use that to our advantage," Sakura suggested. "It may confuse the more experienced shinobi if we're out in the open so blatantly, making them back off for a bit so that they can see if we've set up traps before they ambush us. Our instincts are pretty good; we're sure to detect them, giving us time to retaliate in case."

The conversation came to a standstill when a loud boom echoed from Anko's direction and the gates flung open so fast that Naruto yelped.

"Go!" Sasuke shouted.

The three bolted into the forest, and within minutes couldn't see the outer edge of the arena the longer they ran. It wasn't long before they could feel the adrenaline of the exam burst into their bodies, and at the same time the instinct of survival was switched on.

They hadn't expected to meet combat so quickly – half an hour – but just when Naruto was about to shout out something, a flurry of kunai came raining down at them from above.

They evaded, splitting up for a moment as they hid behind trunks, catching their breath. Sakura grabbed at the loose hood of her grey shirt and yanked it over her head.

_That was quick,_ she mused. _The first shinobi we came across used a different method._

She heard the exchange of weaponry and the scathing shrill of grinding metal somewhere not far from her, and knew that either Naruto or Sasuke was caught in battle. Judging by how silent the footsteps were as they graced the trees and blurred over the leaf-foamed ground, it was Sasuke.

She looked around, wondering if the forest was this dark last time. The canopy was thick and through the sound of battle she could hear the chittering of giant insects travelling in the higher branches. For a moment she was tempted to sip from her water, but the game had just started.

Sakura peered around her trunk, green eyes capturing sight of the carpet of kunai first thrown at them in the clearing, and the blur of Sasuke's dark-clad body weaving through the trees. A strangled cry and the fighting paused as a body was flung at the shuriken and kunai embedded in the ground. A yelp and a choking gurgle was the only noise the enemy nin made before he was dead.

A gasp from opposite of her and Sakura saw Naruto leap from his spot as another shinobi had found him. Sakura reacted then. Stuffing her hand into her pouch she pulled out a roll of wire, pinched the end tightly, and stole her way into the clearing, exposing herself.

For a moment there was a look of relief on Naruto's face before it melted into confusion. She tossed him the roll of wire as they drew closer, and in the last second the blond twisted to the side to evade an attack from the ninja behind – then blood splattered.

He stood frozen in shock and let go over the ball of wire, watching the shinobi wail loudly as he crumbled to the ground. Sakura stood hastily, worry in her expression, letting go of her end of the wire.

"Naruto, are you okay? Did you get hurt?" she asked hurriedly.

His blue eyes shimmered with water for a moment as he looked down and saw the enemy nin twitching, crying in pain, blood spilling from where his legs were sliced off by the wire. Suddenly two kunai came from nowhere and were buried into his back, making him go limp, and Sasuke landed hard beside them.

"The final one is gone," he told them, panting.

Sakura nodded, frowning. This was gritty already.

"They're dead," Naruto murmured, his eyes still wide before he directed his hysterical gaze to Sakura who was rolling up the wire. "How could you do that?"

Honestly, it was all instinct to her. It was just a reaction to kill those who were going to harm her or her teammates. Kakashi told her to worry about the result afterwards, and so she did that. She couldn't afford to be indecisive when now their lives were in danger.

"He was going to kill you, Naruto. I had to do something," Sakura told him.

He swallowed. "Yeah, okay, I get Sasuke killing him, but you? You-You…" He exhaled shakily. "You're Sakura. You're our medic. You—it doesn't—"

Sasuke kept quiet. He wasn't complaining that she was able to kill if need be, but he understood Naruto's point. Sakura killing without thinking, even if she had changed since graduation, was just weird in its own corner.

And Sakura didn't know how to respond.

"I'm sorry… Naruto," she whispered. There was no way she was going to say 'It's still me'. It wasn't. It hasn't. It won't ever.

Things were tense after that. One of the ninja they had killed had the scroll on him, and it was just luck that it was the one they needed. It was perhaps the only thing that lifted Naruto's disappointment. Sakura, though, was almost tempted to suggest searching their bodies, but knew that would make things worse in the group.

When they started again they stuck to the forest but followed along the fence line until they would hit the lake. Sakura had her fingers crossed that if they followed a different route rather than cut straight through, they wouldn't be met with Orochimaru. It was a stretch, but a hope.

It was close to dusk when they finally stopped and Naruto had loudly mentioned that maybe Sakura _was_ an imposter with her dedication, before laughing ridiculously at the idea and falling back onto the soft earth and sighing. Sasuke nestled himself against a trunk right next to the blond, pulling the high collar of his shirt to wipe of the sweat building on his chin and forehead. His lips were cracked from the warm weather and constant running.

Sakura was breathing in deeply and slowly, perched on a large root sticking out from the tree Sasuke sat at. Strings of hair clung to her sweaty face, and she gingerly fiddled with her long braid to make sure it was fine and secure.

After a moment Sasuke pulled out the crinkled map and spread it on the ground, flipping out a thin torchlight to see through the darkening forest. He swallowed, focusing on a random spot on the forest.

"Alright, I'd say our gate was around here," he began. Naruto dragged himself closer but refused to sit up, and Sakura leaned over to watch. "We've been going east, so we should be around halfway to the lake by now. The groups closest to it would already be there, but here's hoping they've moved upstream towards the tower. We have both our scrolls already, so we don't need to go looking for another group. We should lay low until we get to the tower."

"Food?" Naruto squeaked.

Sasuke glanced at him and sighed. "We'll have some now, then set up a perimeter to have a decent night's sleep. If we're attacked in the middle, at least we'll have something in our stomachs to keep us going that little bit longer."

The blond held up two crossed fingers and Sasuke shone his light on it before rolling his eyes and bringing it over Sakura, who winced at the brightness; he lowered it to her chin.

"Anything to add Sakura?" he asked. She shook her head.

They set to work, working without any light in case it attracted someone from the little time Sasuke had used his. The meal was small but satiable – except Naruto had trouble putting his down – and the water was a godsend after what felt like forever.

The murmuring clicks of the insects and who knows what else up in the high treetops unnerved them, unsure if they were carnivorous and or nocturnal and therefore a threat, but Sakura felt they would only harm them if they were disturbed. It was more the loose snakes that she was concerned about.

Nightfall fell.

The trio slept close together but were finding it difficult to actually get any shut-eye at all.

"You three are just not going to split up at all, aren't you?" a feminine voice echoed.

Instantly they sat up, grabbing for a kunai. Sakura trembled inwardly in recognition of that voice, knowing the unique speech pattern of Orochimaru that carried on into any body or person he possessed. He was there. He was somewhere. He was dangerous. And all the anger she thought and hoped she would have felt for this moment was quenched by fear.

She was not her strong twenty-year old self. She did not have the capabilities to fight against a ninja who could swat her like a fly if she didn't play her cards right, if she didn't let her logic – of beyond years – control her. The most she could do was hold out on his attack until the cavalry arrived. Back in her time she did have access to reports, and one she read was on the Chuunin Exams from Anko's point of view. The proctors would find the body of those three Grass ninja, and Anko was going to come in to detain him, or at least try to.

It may only been temporary, but hopefully it would deter him, because he didn't like being known. He wouldn't risk another shot, unless he was desperate.

She just needed to last until midnight, at least. She was near the fence line anyway.

"Then you could have killed us as we slept," Sasuke answered in challenge. Sakura felt like duck-taping his mouth, but she settled with a frightened look. He was unsettling confident, and so was Naruto.

_You don't know,_ she felt like saying. _You don't know how strong this person is. You don't know what he can do. You don't know what he _wants_ to do._

"You weren't asleep, or maybe I might have," the wispy voice responded. "Maybe."

"What?" Naruto breathed, looking confused.

"Actually, _you_ are of no interest to me. You can die."

Before she knew what she was doing, Sakura found herself screaming Naruto's name as a large snake craned from behind him, its jaws wide to engulf him whole. Sasuke instinctively shoved the blond into the cradle of the tree and the snake bit down at the earth, giving the three enough time to scramble away.

"Sasuke! We need light!" Sakura yelled. "Torch the place!"

For a moment confusion flickered in his eyes before he did it without another seconds hesitation. Flames licked up the heavy trees shielding the sky, crawling like live vines as smoke and heat smothered everything around them. It nipped at their bare skin and clothes, but they were all too concentrated on finding their opponent.

Shadows flickered from branch to branch, tree to tree, and Sakura found she could barely keep up with his – her? – speed. The flames would put him off for a moment, but he would quickly adapt to a good vantage point to snipe both her and Naruto off, or take Sasuke.

She turned to the boys. "Whatever we do, stick together, okay? We are not strong enough to handle others on our own."

Neither of them answered. Shadows of the flames danced across their pale faces.

"Got it?" she snapped.

Their faces turned grim. That was a yes.

A crack sounded above and licks of fire fell, the branch coming down right after it. Naruto slipped under it to the others before it crashed on the ground, sending ashes across the leaves. A resonating hiss from all around them snapped Sakura to attention, and Sasuke must have heard it too as he latched on to both of them and yanked them through the maze of fire. He ushered them to leap to the trees, pulsating from one trunk to another.

"What's the plan?" Naruto shouted, wind whipping through his sooted hair.

"Run!" Sakura responded.

Sasuke stared at her like she was crazy. "What? Then why did I torch the forest?"

"Smoke hides a scent and disrupts a ninjas' senses! The continuous release of chakra also falters, particularly around a strong force of heat! Other elements have similar effects on the body, just that some have more damaging effects physically – fire and lightning!"

"Good thinking, Sakura," Sasuke stated after a moment's pause.

She would have smiled back at him had her heart not been threatening to leap out of her chest. It was a risky move and may have only put them, at most, a minute or two's head start. Concern for the fire spreading did not reach her fully until she realised how it felt so cold in the free air compared to back there. Anko or some other ninja would certainly douse the fire before it got too out of control if need be, but it was an exam, and it was a training ground; such damage was to be expected.

"Where are we heading to now?" Naruto asked from a little behind.

"We'll—Naruto!"

Two large jaws clamped shut tightly around the orange clad boy, snapping the branch he was about to hit. Sakura was thrown off momentarily, having to grab a branch to twist and swing herself back firmly onto it. Sasuke landed heavily next to her, his nails raking deep into the trunk that he felt a jab of pain in his skin.

They rested for only a brief minute until the snake jerked forward, nipping off the branch where Sakura was. Splinters flew as she fled from tree to tree, the reptile managing to follow at her heels despite needing to swerve from trunk to trunk and keep a hold of its weight so high up in the tree. Panic fluttered in her chest as she tried to catch a glimmer of where Sasuke was, whether he was following behind in the darkness or had some other plan she didn't know about.

She got her answer in only a few seconds.

The air was sliced by a sharp whizzing noise and she heard the tearing of skin before blood splattered over her heels. Grabbing a branch, she halted herself in time to see the head of the snake droop low then disconnect entirely from the rest of its body that fell limp on the tree limbs. Red stained the bark and spilled like thinning water to the earth. She could vaguely see the lightness of Naruto's hand poking out from the dark gullet of the inner body.

"Persistent roach," _that_ voice spat, and Sakura was sent hurling against the tree trunk. She gasped.

"Sakura!"

"All action, no talk. No manners either? Tut tut."

Sakura didn't hesitate to see where the comment was going to go next before she punched the trunk and shattered it, feeling it disappear beneath her. It gave her a chance to flee back and figure out where Sasuke was at, also aware that Naruto would be safe enough for now until he got himself out if he could.

Fire bloomed suddenly not far from her.

He was already fighting Orochimaru.

She glanced up, the canopy blocking the sky. It had to be near midnight. The flames would have caught Anko's attention. It had to have. Right?

Skipping from branch to branch, Sakura got closer nearly sliced herself in half with a planted wire stretched between some trees. Seconds after she evaded it, a whole network of lines were lit on fire, leading to a shrilling body of burning flesh.

It was suddenly so very hot as she lunged towards Sasuke sitting panting on a trunk, leaning to one side and keeping his right hand close to his chest. Without another word Sakura grabbed it, inspected it, and healed it as best as she could. Sasuke cringed as the gash from his wrist to his elbow was sewed before his red eyes.

He had the Sharingan on again.

"Get Naruto," he hissed at her. "Now!"

Sakura unconsciously followed the order, realising when she was already at the dead snake body that her mission was to protect Sasuke. Cursing to herself, the flushed female frantically freed Naruto from the confines of the throat, ignoring his sputtering, flinging of goo and saliva, and complaints and fears that they weren't going to save him. However his lips were sealed the moment he saw the new fire and desperate look in Sakura's face.

"Where's Sasuke?" he croaked.

"Hurry!"

Naruto slipped from the slick liquid he was covered in as they made their way to the flames burning high and fast. Sakura was horrified at the thought with what could have happened while she was gone.

She was nearly there.

She was there.

Orochimaru was closing in on Sasuke; him, crippled, utterly drained on the branch.

Kunai spun from Naruto next to her, catching in the Grass ninjas' closed and pinning him so quickly to the tree next to him that he yelped in reaction. Sakura didn't waste a breath as she clenched her fist and punched his half revealed face, spraying mud everywhere and puncturing a fist-size hole in the trunk. She spun, seeing Naruto holding Sasuke upright and the flames of Sasuke's jutsu growing hotter and higher.

She was feeling light-headed and de-hydrated, but her fist was oddly cool. She looked and realised, spinning back around to gather more of the mud on her hand before pasting it over her face. She turned and did the same to the boys, who stuttered in confusion until its coolness touched their skin.

"It'll cool us down for now," Sakura whispered over the loud crackling. "Sasuke, can you—"

The Uchiha was unconscious in Naruto's arms.

"Let's get outta here," Naruto growled. "I hope that bastard is gone for now."

"Agreed."

Naruto slung Sasuke over his shoulder and they both dropped to the ground. Below was on fire and they followed the only visible path they could see in their desired direction. They coughed and lost footing from time to time, one moment making Naruto brush too closely to a bush on fire and setting his jacket alight.

"Shit!" he shouted, dropping Sasuke immediately.

Sakura attempted to assist as the blond danced to unzip his jacket and throw it away, but he didn't escape unscathed. One or two of his fingers were burned, his hairline of his neck was black and the skin below it red, and when he tossed it it must have scathed his elbow. He hissed in pain.

Wheezing from the smoke, Sakura scrambled for her waist pouch and grabbed the small water bottle, dislodging the Heaven scroll. She tested the water, happy with its luke-warm state, and grabbed Naruto's hands, pouring as much as she could spare on every burned bit, even tearing off the end of her black top to wet it and wrap gently around his neck. She stuffed the empty bottle back into her bag.

"We have to get out of this fire now," she said, slinging Sasuke over her shoulder and leading the way. "That water will only help for a minute, but when we're out I can tend to your burn better and faster."

"Right behind you," Naruto coughed, curling his fingers into the damp cloth.

They found the lake a half an hour afterwards, and Naruto was biting his lip to keep himself from making any noise because of the pain. He was staggering towards the water when Sakura stopped him abruptly and pulled him back against a cliff that began where they were and ran into the distance. She was close to fainting herself, but managed to lay Sasuke down carefully before washing her dry muddy hands and unpacking her kit. She smeared some green paste on Naruto's burns, and quickly applied some other ointments to ease any pain or heal any cuts on either of her teammates and herself.

By the time she was finished Naruto was asleep, and she was alone with the sounds of the soft chirping of crickets and trickling of the stream. She felt sick, horribly sick, that she turned away and threw up.

She was hot, sweaty and grimy, and covered with such a mixture of stuff she felt like a living painting. The end of her braid was burned, threatening to fall apart completely, but she tied it up again. And it was only when she was re-packing her stuff, she realised she was missing something.

The Heaven Scroll.


	10. Team Dynamics

_Although I don't know how this story is going to end, chances are I'm still going into Shippuden. If so, that will be a sequel. So Rainy Days is all pre-shippuden, alright? I have goals in mind, which I'm trying to keep, but you can help._

_**Request:** If you read anything that you think is not necessary or does not add to the story, tell me. Please? And tell me why or how. _

_Off topic, I'm super-duper happy with all your support. You haven't abandoned me! XD And people keep finding this story, which is fantastic. Keep up the hard work, fellas!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER TEN—<strong>  
><em>Team Dynamics<em>

* * *

><p>She couldn't rest.<p>

She didn't know if it was because of guilt that she lost the scroll, or because she just couldn't calm herself down enough to slip into slumber, but either way, she sat curled up between Naruto and Sasuke, chewing on some leaves she found nearby that helped clean her insides of toxins. It wasn't a particularly effective means, as it was more potent if the leaves were crushed and boiled, but she couldn't risk another fire.

Besides, she was sick of it.

Dawn was breaking over the canopy of the forest in front of her and birds were beginning to come out of their nests. She eyed one or two that left their nests in a low tree nearby, mentally noting about checking it for eggs later on. She was hungry but had no appetite, her skin was tingling with the nights use of adrenaline, and she had blisters on her fingers.

Naruto and Sasuke were completely covered in dirt, soot and mud like her. The blond was jacket-less, and Sasuke's shirt had been torn here and there, tinged with blood that she stopped and healed. And it was clear Orochimaru had left them for now – hopefully forever, but that was a wish she knew wouldn't come true. From what it sounded like in her time, Orochimaru was fanatic about taking control of Sasuke. It was a goal he had intended. He wouldn't stop, then, now. He just wouldn't because it was only one missed chance. There could be others, but she wouldn't always be there.

No, she stopped the first time now. It didn't happen. Sasuke was clean, and whatever happened from here on out, Sakura was horrified of the thought of. It wasn't really in her control anymore. She took that leap.

A broken cough cut her thoughts and she tiredly looked to her right side at the Uchiha. He turned slightly on the tiny pebbles, hacking and wheezing hard enough that Sakura felt momentarily bad that her attempts of clearing his lungs of smoke with some special incense hadn't really worked. His bruised and ashy limbs shook as he turned over onto his stomach and pushed himself up to his knees, sinking into a cross-legged sit. Dark eyes peered at her through a muddy face and under black locks. His cracked lips were bleeding, like Naruto's, and he looked so horribly tired she was surprised he woke up at all.

"We're alive," he breathed. Sakura nodded stiffly, and he craned his head to see the brimming sun. "Dawn."

"Yeah."

"You look horrible."

"So do you. So does Naruto."

He licked his lips but cringed at the taste of dirt. "We sound bad as well."

"Smoke inhalation. A lot. I tried to clear some while you slept, but a proper way would require another fire for me to boil water."

"Water." He leaned towards the stream. "Water."

That didn't sound good.

"Is he gone?" Sasuke whispered, head bowed, back hunched, shoulders forward.

"Yes," Sakura answered tentatively. He looked so fragile.

"She was actually a he," he said. "He ripped his face skin off to show me what he looked like."

There was a pause.

"Sakura, I—"

He trembled, and she saw how tightly his hands were gripping his knees as he held back any sort of emotion that was dying to get out.

"I was so scared." His words were so light they were like a gentle breeze. "So scared. I was—I almost—died. We all did."

He was in shock. He was in a daze as he tried to come to some sort of an understanding.

Sakura reached out her sore arm and grabbed his hand, putting strength into it to remove it from his knee. He jerked a little, settling with staring at her hand. Last time he had been petrified as soon as he met Orochimaru, but with how things played out this time round, there was no time.

The fear was slowly dawning on him that he had of his opponent. It was a delayed reaction, but it was something Sakura was gonna let happen. Maybe it would deter him further of ever going to Orochimaru for power. Maybe it would help him choose his opponents precisely, and gauge whether a tactical retreat would be better than fighting.

Whatever the result, something good would come of the bad.

"Did you sleep?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

Sakura shook her head.

"Sleep," he commanded, trying to move his back to against the cliff beside her.

The rosette was tempted, but when she felt his head collapse on her shoulder, she cracked a smile and decided she could stay on watch for a little bit longer.

Or so she thought.

She woke up in a rush an hour later, feeling as though her skin was on fire, burning, blistering, peeling. She had jolted, jostling Sasuke, and just started running until she fell into the lake. The water felt like a slap across the face as she clawed at the bank for safety, fingers digging into the soft dirt.

Her breathing grew laboured and she gripped her head, feeling herself losing control as the memories of the heat, the flames and the blistered bodies screaming for attention resurfaced. Even though she was doused in water, her brain could still imagine the heat of fire, so her skin felt hot.

She heard birds nearby, and the gentle rustling of wind threading through trees. The trickling of the water and the fresh scent of grass were almost beautiful to her, a sign that she was alone and in the green. But the fresh smell was overpowered by the stench of smoke blowing in her direction, and she cringed as she slouched against the bank and gripped her head harder.

"It's okay, Sakura," she told herself. "It's okay. They're okay. He's-he's… not trying to kill me. The fire is gone. A nightmare."

Her words dissolved to nothing, of no use to her as she could not shake what her brain chose to conjure. There were times she did have to tend to burnt victims, some of them left in the wake of Sasuke's or someone else's wrath, and there was a time when Sasuke tried to kill her himself, but he never tried to burn her alive like that.

Nightmares were strange like that, stringing bad things together into the same scene and making it far too convincing. It broke down her mental barrier of keeping all that shit out, and she started crying – loudly.

She hadn't cried like this in weeks, but the pressure was just stupid. Not just that though, but she was far too exhausted already. At that very moment, she was just over it. She wanted to leave, she wanted to just drop her ninja gear and leave. She understood, now, of all the times Shikamaru would moan about retiring early because it was far too much trouble.

No one should have to re-do life again. Ever. The drain was intense, and Sakura, at first, thought she could handle it; handle the pressure with the Hokage and Kakashi backing her, but they couldn't take that strain from her tired body.

In that moment, crying loudly (made worse from the smoke inhalation), she was just. Fucking. Over it.

Eventually that exhaustion pushed her to sleep, but it was fragile.

She jerked awake the second Naruto moaned and rolled over. Her eyes hurt as she looked around and realised how warm it was. It must have been afternoon. She glanced over the boys, relieved to see that they were still asleep; their faces were incredibly close to each other. She forced a smile to her face. She had to.

Sakura felt like absolute shit, but she knew that if she didn't somehow try to convince herself or her body that she had to keep going, she'd be a liability. She stretched herself over the bank, fingertips pressed slightly into the grass until her bones cracked comfortably.

_I'm well. I'm alive. Sasuke's clean. Everything is perfect_, she chanted to herself.

She had to force herself to act normal, at least until the end of the Exams. Her sub-conscious, though, reminded her that forcing herself to keep going was like depriving her of sleep. Sometime, someday, she was going to drop, and she would need medical help.

Until then.

Not long after she got herself cleaned up – washed the mud off her body and re-did her stringy, grimy hair – one of the boys started to wake and she heaved in relief. Naruto groaned loudly, complaining about aches and pains all over his body, but focused more on the fact that breathing was so hard. Sakura instantly made him chew on some of the leaves she found, meanwhile debating how to tell him about the scroll.

She healed Naruto's burns a bit better and eased the chance of scarring on Sasuke's biggest gash. She, for the most part, had remained almost unwounded, bearing the same fire wounds they had. It was the moment soon after that she told Naruto he could wash himself off, and it was a moment that Sakura groaned and rolled her eyes to as he pretty much flung off his clothes and attacked the water, splashing some onto Sasuke who jerked awake and grabbed a kunai, his eyes darting about.

He had similar breathing problems to Naruto, and Sakura decided to risk a fire to brew some of the leaves for a more potent mix. Sasuke was groggy, the complete opposite to Naruto who just seemed to revel in the fact that he was alive and breathing. At one point Sakura had glanced around to see him standing in the lake with his head back for the sun to shine on him, exposed for all to see. Honestly, the only reason she looked away was because they didn't know she had seen too many naked bodies to count, and Naruto's was no exception.

Sasuke was a little hesitant to bathe, glancing at Sakura as she brewed the potion, her back to the lake. Eventually he conceded.

It was then that Sakura just randomly remarked that she had lost the scroll in an attempt to ease the Uzumaki's pain of the burns. She heard some splashes and could feel some heated looks on her back, but neither of them growled at her like she expected; though bitterness was obvious. Naruto remarked that they still had time to find the Heaven scroll from another group; luckily Sasuke still had the Earth.

They ate, they took Sakura's medicine, then moved to a small cave Sasuke had found when he scouted for food. Sakura slept as the boys rested, probing the area for weaknesses, and it was dusk by the time she woke up to a bigger meal of three fish each.

It was moments like these that reminded Sakura of the missions she had back home, when she'd camp out with her teammates and warm themselves by a contained fire; when they'd talk as much as they could without alerting the enemy, and could bathe in front of each other without worrying about courtesy. It was easier. It was comfortable.

It was missed.

Then darkness fell.

* * *

><p>Sarutobi sighed as he signed the final paper and set it aside, spinning in his chair to look out the vast windows. There were little clouds in the sky, grey and ashy compared to the pristine night blue, and the moon was full. It was so still that it felt ominous but, surprisingly, there were plenty of nights like that in Konoha.<p>

It had been nearly a day, exactly, since Sakura had completed her mission in the forest. As soon as Anko had found out Orochimaru was in there, she set out to stop him. When she came back she was visibly troubled, though he was assured that Orochimaru wasn't going to set foot in the forest again – perhaps.

That last word she added came with an explanation that when she encountered the Sannin, he was furious. Something hadn't gone to plan, something had gotten in the way, and Anko knew that he wouldn't risk another chance to complete it. She even had several proctors comb the forest without engaging with any teams, just in case the Sannin would take another shot, but it was clean, and the two other ninja of his 'group' were gone too.

So she had done it. Sasuke was mark-less, and from here things may get a little unstable. He could feel it in his nerves.

He sighed again. "Hello, Jiraiya," he spoke into the empty office. He spun in his seat to see the Toad Sannin leaning casually against the wall by the door, his arms crossed and his giant scroll resting at his feet.

His aging face was grim, eyes tired but still oddly alive. "Sensei," he acknowledged. He frowned. "Without your pipe? Heh, now I've seen it all."

"Smoking can kill you," the Hokage responded, gesturing for the Sannin to come closer.

The Sage complied, choosing to lean against the large desk. "You called for me to return early. Why? What's up?"

"Then you haven't heard."

"Heard what?"

"Orochimaru was sighted in the Forest of Death."

Jiraiya went silent. "Is that so?"

"Anko pursued him, and whatever plans he had in there were foiled. He's since disappeared."

"Who was he after?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Jiraiya hummed as he stood and turned to the Hokage. "An Uchiha. There could be a long list of reasons for why he would want the boy, and none of it good." He paused, then frowned. "Wait, what do you mean foiled? He isn't one to give up on a plan, and don't get me wrong, the Uchiha has potential, but there's no way he could have slipped through the Snake's clutches untouched."

Sarutobi smiled grimly, bowing his head as he answered, "We had an insider working with us."

"Not Anko?"

"No. Her name is Sakura Haruno."

"Don't know _her_, but I know Haruno. The family who owns a pottery shop, right?"

"Correct. Sakura only recently graduated from the Academy earlier this year."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Recently graduated? I wasn't going to comment on her being a genin and being an insider – Might Gai had let his team wait for a year before they were submitted, after all – but recently graduated has to make me ask: what's on your mind?"

"She's from the future."

The Sannin gave the Hokage a poker face before he threw his head back and laughed. "I'm not as naïve as you, Old Man. That's too much to swallow even if it were possible."

"She mentioned Itachi," Sarutobi cut in and Jiraiya's smile dropped like a stone. "Academy students are not taught about the massacre, you know that. She also told us, months before the Exams even started, that Orochimaru was going to come, and that Sasuke is involved."

Jiraiya's jaw shifted as he ground his teeth together. "I see. And who is 'us'?"

"Myself and Kakashi Hatake. Ino Yamanaka is also aware of Sakura's condition, but that's all."

Slowly red accumulated on Jiraiya's tanned face and he broke away from the desk, floating about the room as he let everything sink in.

"That makes sense," he finally spoke, his voice deeper, a sign that he was taking this seriously. "How Orochimaru was foiled. Let me guess, where she came from the Uchiha boy probably got whatever Orochimaru intended for him?"

"Yes."

"And you decided that stopping that would help… what?"

"You did not see the girl when she told us, Jiraiya," Sarutobi responded swiftly.

This was a delicate matter, and he could see some sort of frustration brewing in his old student. He expected it. The younger man didn't know all the details to understand why they made such a huge change, but in the least he could have trusted in his old mentors decisions. Sakura Haruno's reaction promised darkness for Konoha's future.

"Kakashi, as her mentor, had seen differences in her since she was assigned to him, long before he found out the truth. He saw everything to how she reacted to those around her, how she was able to accelerate in ability, how she was able to possess knowledge of healing and martial art far too similar to Tsunade's."

At this Jiraiya widened his eyes. "And did this Haruno admit to that?" he asked softly.

Sarutobi closed his eyes and sighed. "No. But it is obvious. Time travel is hard to swallow but the pieces fit. In that twelve year old body is a twenty year old experienced kunoichi."

Jiraiya swallowed thickly and wiped his sweaty fingers on his clothes. "This is crazy."

"Now that Sasuke did not get the curse mark, who knows what will change. I told you this because you are one of the few people who would be able to make a difference, to keep a lid on things in case something blows out of proportions."

He folded his arms. "And what sort of damage are you expecting?"

"Anything. Everything. Sakura cannot handle this all by herself. This decision alone was something she had difficulty accepting, she doesn't know I have told this at all, and she trusts Kakashi or she would have not told him."

"Or the Yamanaka."

"True. Ino Yamanaka may be of some help in the future, but that remains unseen."

Jiraiya sighed. "I'm good, Old Man, but I'm not that good. I can't keep everything that's going to happen under my control, the same with Kakashi. I guess that means you'll have to leave this office for once."

The lack of formality was slowly getting to the Hokage. "I'll be leaving this office sooner than you think."

The Sannin paused for a beat. "That doesn't sound good."

"You know that Orochimaru would have not just stopped at getting Sasuke in the Chuunin Exams. Whatever is his real motive, he's going to attack Konoha, and he'll have to fight me."

Jiraiya didn't answer.

"I am going to be killed by him, Jiraiya."

"No," he said instantly. "Not if I can help it. Things are changed enough that you could live."

"But my death may simmer that fire after what we've changed, putting it, with any luck, back on to some sort of track for Sakura to follow."

The younger man was not happy. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were steely, matching with his thinned lips that added to his radiating disapproval of the idea. His muscles were tight, like he wanted to do something more to stop whatever was happening.

"I am content with this, Jiraiya," Sarutobi stated, his voice and eyes softening by the end of his sentence.

The Sannin faltered for a second. "I understand," he reluctantly answered. Konoha would cry, but it was a part of life. It was always hard to change someone's mind when it was stuck on something, and sacrificing ones life was one of the best ways to die for a shinobi.

"I'm trusting you," the Hokage said.

"I'm not becoming Hokage," Jiraiya dismissed quickly.

"You may change your mind when the time comes."

* * *

><p>"We're being followed," Sasuke murmured to his teammates as they trudged upstream, keeping close to the cliff-side for cover. It was past dawn and they had been travelling for only a little while.<p>

"I know," Sakura answered. She kept her tired green eyes on the curving bend of the river, hoping that they'd see the deflation of the cliff sometime soon so they could slip back into the forest. Scaling the cliff was a dismissed idea, as it required chakra and that would be needed in case they got attacked.

Naruto casually looked at the fish in the stream as he expanded his field to detect the ninja following them. He found them; three. They were on the cliffs on the other side, hidden in the trees that grew close to the edge. Vines and roots veiled the side of the rock face, some trees tilting slightly towards the dip.

"How long?" Naruto asked.

"Since my shift," Sasuke answered. He was the last to take watch that morning. "They've just been watching us, probably to figure how to split us up to take us out. We're much weaker that way."

Sakura was desperate to increase their pace, but doing so would alert the ninja that they knew they were there. She didn't trust these cliff walls. If the team watching them was who she thought they were, they'd be able to send the rock down on them in a jiffy.

Sharp whistling was the only warning before a shinobi came flying down at them.

"Move!" Sasuke shouted.

And seconds later their ears were ringing with the sound of an explosion, the ground beneath their feet shivering as they evaded the spray of rock and dirt and pebbles. Her vision, she knew, was fine, but everything was shaking so badly that all she could see was blurred forms as Naruto and she pranced back from the collapsing rock crashing into the stream. A ringing siren could be heard nearby, and more rock went flying out from the cliff as the ground shook again.

"They cut Sasuke off!" Naruto shouted as soon as they gathered their footing on firm earth on the other side of the river. True to his word, they could see the Uchiha engaged with a Sound nin Sakura recognised; the one with the furry hunched back and his head shrouded in bandages.

The wind suddenly got so rough and so harsh that they started to lose their hold on their ground and lift slightly into the air, hair whipping madly; Sakura felt something dig into her cheeks and neck as her braid swung like mad. However, they were separated in seconds later as Naruto went flying back further upstream and Sakura was suddenly belted forwards into a rock, snapping her out of the wind.

She felt blood trickle down her face and the makings of a lump on her forehead as she lifted her head and saw a dark shadow flitter by her towards Naruto; it was the second male nin with the wild black hair.

_That means…_

"That your natural colour?" a feminine voice sounded. "Lovely hair."

Sakura peered up at the long-haired Sound nin looming over her, a wicked smile on her face and her hands on her hips.

Talk was impossible when the rosette swiftly twisted and punched the ground, sending the rock flying. But the nin had dodged, and Sakura smiled when she felt a sharp tug on her braid and then lurched forward, ripping her hair through the hands of the other female. A cry of pain flooded the trench instantly and the scent of blood hit her senses as the rosette shifted back to the other kunoichi.

Anger graced the Sound nin's face as her black eyes glared at her shredded hands. "What the hell?"

Her answer was a swift punch in the face and she flung back hard into a boulder blocking the path. The rock broke – and more else, the sound of it echoing up and down the trench – and Sakura followed without stopping, delivering another bone breaking punch to the nin's face.

A shrilling sound met her ears and a desperate cry from Sasuke's direction and the rosette saw the first Sound nin lunging towards her, his hand out, his fingers spread to grip her head and explode her brain. The smell of smoke was Sakura's only warning and she plunged into the stream in front of her the same time a plume of fire breezed over the surface.

She felt the tide carry her back down stream, but at least she was out of the way of boiling water from the fire. She grabbed at the stone on the side to stop herself, and broke the surface to see through her fringe covered eyes that she was at least ten metres from Sasuke.

Heaving herself up onto the bank, Sakura gasped for breath, ignoring the sting of her fingers where she had probably ripped her nails or just broke her skin. The battle was still going on ahead, the body that had been leaping for her was nothing but a clone, now a charred log that crackled into ash and was swept away into the air.

Orange clones could be spotted in the distance beyond Sasuke as he handled his first opponent, who was attempting to save the girl Sakura had downed.

Sakura hurriedly strung some seals together before slamming her hand on the ground. Instantly a small tide of rushing earth shot towards the trio, shoving the female up from the rock and into Sasuke's kunai. The ground rippled on violently further down the bank of the river, and she couldn't see if it reached Naruto, but the first Sound nin had had enough. He disappeared seconds later with the girl, and then a dozen of Naruto's clones had burst into smoke.

Panting, the rosette pushed herself up to her feet as she joined up with her teammates, who were huffing as well.

"Is everyone alright?" Naruto asked.

Sakura and Sasuke nodded. "Your jutsu worked, Sakura," the latter said, his voice breathy. "All that training had paid off."

The kunoichi managed a broken smile. Her training before the Exams had flourished like theirs had (Sasuke with fire, and Naruto with wind). She wanted to do something that she hadn't learned last time, and she hadn't actually developed jutsu in her element at all.

Earth was her element. She had known it, but never followed it.

"_So tell me… you intend to learn something different from before, right?" Kakashi asked, sitting down opposite the rosette at the table peeling a banana. She was in his apartment, about the only place she felt safe enough to converse with him with nobody else listening. She nodded. "Genjutsu?"_

"_No. Well, maybe. Genjutsu was… hard for me."_

"_Hard? You'd excel in genjutsu if you trained in it."_

"_No, I… I trained in healing-ninjutsu and taijutsu up until a certain point. After that, I tried genjutsu, but it seemed that no matter how good my chakra control was, it was difficult to balance that with my healing. I was spreading myself far too thin, that I was risking my patient's lives. The only genjutsu I learned were ones I could deploy without draining too much chakra and escape; simple ones."_

"_And now?" Kakashi voiced. "What's stopping you from doing more of it now?"_

"_It may still turn out the same," she answered. "Before I came here, I had begun the theory of combining my element with my main expertise, though I had not yet pursued it."_

"_And since your element is earth… hmm… That seems like a good combination."_

"_Right. My plan is to focus on ninjutsu to expand and back my healing. I'm not disregarding genjutsu entirely, though, as I want to have a solid base in all areas, with a stronger one in ninjutsu."_

_"You know, you might find yourself doing more genjutsu than you first thought. I can see you still going with that, as well as with healing-ninjutsu."_

_"Maybe. Maybe." Just maybe. The more she thought about it, the more the idea of genjutsu interested her. She remembered as a genin that she excelled in what little she learned, before she went down a different pathway. She had intended to fortify her old pathway by learning things she didn't do previously, but genjutsu... Maybe she could still. _

"_Whatever you decide, sounds good to me. There are plenty of other ninja in Konoha who are exceptionally skilled in genjutsu to cover your blind spots, but admittedly, we are lacking in the healing department. I support this decision," Kakashi said. He tilted his head down at her, smiling. "I can help with the genjutsu if you'd like."_

_She grinned back. "If you have time between reading your books."_

_He chuckled. "Alright, I get your point. There is also Kurenai."_

"What—" Naruto huffed, bringing her back. He swallowed. "What happened with her hands? I heard her scream and then blood and then this guy was on top of me – and not like that, Sakura!"

She rolled her eyes. "Do you really think that low of me, Naruto? I don't have a one-tracked mind."

He scoffed.

Sakura lightly grabbed her braid and pulled it over her shoulder. It was covered in blood, and she could actually still see some skin tissue clinging to some thin pin-prick points sticking out from the strands of pink hair.

"I buried caltrops into it," Sakura explained quietly. "Long hair is a liability, so I was negating that by making it a strength."

Naruto was in awe and stated so, and even Sasuke looked a little impressed, but he tried not to show it. He nodded curtly to her, instead, as a sort of approval of the idea. He pointed to stab marks all about her neck and face, and said that that was how she got those marks then, when her hair went wild in the wind; she said yes.

"I'm hungry," Naruto interjected. "And we still need to find a Heaven scroll."

"Dammit," Sasuke cursed. "I should have checked if that guy had one."

"The forest should be coming up soon. We'll go hunting then," Sakura suggested without thinking.

Naruto double-taked. "Hunt?" Even Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the rosette. "That's the sort of thing Sasuke would say."

The Uchiha glared at him. "No it's not," he defended.

"It's just not you, Sakura." Naruto ignored him.

Anger sparked within her and she narrowed her eyes. That did not help her at all. She had been spending her time trying to stop herself from falling apart, but that comment was poking holes through it.

Her anger may be unreasonable to them, but to her, she was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. They didn't know that she was trying to save their lives, or that she wasn't exactly the Sakura they knew. But what he just said brought back memories of not just this Exam, but even up until the point when they both last interacted with her; how she still hadn't really caught up them.

"What?" she asked. "So you want me to stay back and let you do all the work?"

"He didn't say that, Sakura. You're overreacting."

She snapped her jaw closed as she fought against lecturing them properly. The irritation was brimming, but she had remarkable control when need be. Sasuke, though, could see the conflict within her, and perhaps even Naruto could as well.

"We're a team, okay?" she started out slowly, trying to push herself to get rid of the menacing look she no doubt had on her face. "I… am just doing… my part."

"And that's fine. The point, Sakura, is that your behaviour and words are different," Sasuke tried to reason. She didn't expect him to add to the topic at all. "You don't talk the same. You don't move the same. _You _are not the same. We're just saying that you've changed a lot since we were Academy Students."

She glared, trying to think of a way to explain this change without it being ludicrous. But somehow she knew just what to say. "I've had to step up my game!" she shouted. "My teammates were the Uchiha prodigy and a knucklehead who was known for his persistence and determination! It's hard to be who I was and keep up with that sort of level, okay? Something had to change, and it could only be with me. Is that wrong?"

Naruto looked ready to cry, but Sasuke remained stalwart.

"Your personality had a major change _weeks_ before graduation. You didn't even have us as your teammates until later."

"Stop, both of you," Naruto cut in, and simultaneously Sasuke and Sakura turned to him to see his small tears flowing down his cheeks. "Sakura's right. We're a team. That's what Kakashi-sensei taught us, and that is what we've been following. We've done great, haven't we?" He smiled, but it was half-hearted. "I think we stand a chance, an even greater chance, now that we've gotten to know each other and have been in several life-threatening situations. So let's not stop that, please?"

Neither of them really knew what to say.

"And Sakura…I'm sorry," the Uzumaki continued.

She widened her eyes in surprise. "What?" she breathed.

"I didn't mean to insult you, though I don't know how I did…" He winced, as if expecting her to give him a punch for being dense, or something similar, but he got a simple tough nudge on his shoulder. "That's all?" he asked.

Sakura frowned and held up a fist. "You want more?"

"No!"

"I can't believe you two are my teammates."

"Ahh, so _you're_ asking for it."

Naruto laughed. "Suck it, Sasuke!"


	11. Blind

_unedited_

* * *

><p><em>Hello. :3 Am alive. Thank you all so much for still sticking with me and reading. I appreciate it lots and lots. X3<em>

_Just one thing to note (believe me or not): the matches for the Preliminary and Final Exam were randomised. I had my sister pick out who would fight who from a hat, so I had no hand in it. I promise! :D She was cackling with glee at some of them._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER ELEVEN—<br>**_Blind_

* * *

><p>She was gasping and hacking, blood blocking her windpipe as her body writhed in pain. Her ribs had broken in, hastening her death, and her nose was smashed, the bone around her eyes aching like a bitch when she so much as blinked.<p>

She felt like a monster.

Her eyes were wide as she buried her fingers into the dirt, like she refused to leave this earth and was desperate to hang on to it. Her vision was getting blurry as her lungs started to fail on her, the blood from the puncture wound and bones spreading and growing numb as time passed on.

It didn't matter what her teammates did, they could not stop the bleeding. They could not save her life.

She was going to die.

"Can we—"

"No. There's no way. We have to."

"Right."

It was so hard to breathe that she unconsciously started to cry. Maybe that was why she had trouble seeing. She was crying. Or maybe it was how death went. Maybe sight was the first thing to go as your body failed you. Or maybe it was the feeling in the extremities, which had started to vanish the same time as her vision.

She was in so much pain she couldn't even scream.

Then her teammates looked over her, their faces indiscernible. She wanted to talk, but she couldn't.

She felt their touch on her neck, and she sent silent thanks until her neck was snapped and everything was black.

* * *

><p>There were two days left to find a Heaven scroll and the odds were declining with the time. Naruto's little encouragement speech the late afternoon before had lasted only for that moment. By night, he could feel the tension between Sasuke and Sakura, and had no idea why it would be there; and neither of them felt like talking. The night shifts went smoothly and morning was the same. They decided they'd have a slightly bigger chance of finding a Heaven scroll near the tower.<p>

However, midday, whilst having some cooked wild bird for lunch, they were paid a visit.

Sakura felt cold dread fill her at the sight of the familiar silver-haired 'genin' stepping from the foliage and blink in confusion at the sight of them holding kunai – Naruto managing to hold onto his food at the same time. Instant anger and hatred consumed her, that it took her most of her effort to just stay where she was as he waved his hands in front of his body and told them he wasn't going to harm them.

Why hadn't she reacted this way with Sasuke? He betrayed her, but yet she didn't have the urge to claw his eyes out at the sight of them. Maybe it was because of her theory that it was a genjutsu that allowed her to let him in again, whereas Kabuto, just trying to pull the same stunt last time, screamed pure enemy. Maybe that was it. Sasuke could change, but this Sound nin would always be the greatest foe.

She ground her teeth together, frowning.

"Rats! You have both scrolls," Naruto winged, plonking back down and putting his kunai down.

_Don't do that, Naruto! He's bad!_ Sakura internally screamed.

"We had two scrolls before, but we got caught in this massive fire, and well, it got burned."

Kabuto chuckled. "Bad luck."

Even Sasuke backed down, but only a little. His eyes held suspicion, which Kabuto noticed.

"And so you three were the cause of those two fires, huh?" Kabuto commented, hands on his hips. He laughed. "There was a lot of damage. The proctors did end up stopping the fire from leaving the forest, but it had raged inwards, killing at least two teams until they decided they should stop it completely. No point in having an exam if everyone dies, huh?"

"Yeah," Sasuke murmured.

"But you three look alright. Alive, at least, though down a scroll. Maybe I could help you with that."

"Why?" Sasuke instantly asked. Sakura didn't trust herself to speak, knowing already that her daggers were noticed by the medic-nin.

Kabuto shrugged. "If you're worried about me taking you out of the exam, don't bother. I have my scrolls, remember?"

"That's not what I'm asking. Why would you help us?" Sasuke pushed. "We don't even know you, and yet you come to us – directly to us – with open arms. Where are your teammates? How did you know we were here? Why didn't you attack?"

"Woah, Sasuke!" Naruto tried to calm. "He's just being nice! I mean, if one of the other two Rookie Nine teams found us, would you ask them the same questions?"

"Yes."

"…oh."

"It's alright, Naruto," Kabuto soothed. "I understand. He's a good ninja to be interrogating me like that, and your third teammate doesn't seem to be all too trusting either. Maybe it would be best I do not assist. I don't particularly want to risk my life with those two."

Naruto gaped, turning to the other two, until he understood and fell silent.

Kabuto chuckled. "Well, I actually lied a little bit."

All three tensed.

"My teammates have our two scrolls, but I went scouting, to see what other teams were left," he explained. He grinned. "I managed to snag a second Heaven scroll. Is that the one you need?"

"Yes!" Naruto instantly shouted, yet he didn't move from his spot by the fire.

Kabuto dug his hand into his back pocket and pulled out a blood-flecked scroll. Sasuke raised his kunai a little higher, and Sakura kept her glare trained on the silver-haired man, not budging.

"I can give it to you if you'd like?" he suggested.

"No," Sakura stated. Even that single word made the anger pulsate.

Kabuto blinked pleasantly. "So you do talk." He smiled. "You're Sakura Haruno, aren't you?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "How do you know her name?"

"I know all of you," he answered honestly. "I'm a Leaf nin too."

_No, you're not._

"I was going to introduce myself before the first exam but had no chance." He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not the bad guy."

_Yes, you are._

"I have these cards, you see, that stores any piece of data I learn about a ninja and their team; their skills, their weaknesses, their missions, you name it, I know it. That's how I know you guys." He grinned. "Besides, you're one of the three rookie groups. How could I not know you?"

"Cards of data?" Sasuke asked.

Kabuto nodded. "Yes. Is there anyone you'd like to know more about?"

Naruto took a bite of his cooling bird.

"Of any ninja?"

"Almost. Within reason. Everyone in this exam, in the least."

"Then yeah, there are a few people I'd like to know more about," Sasuke said, lowering his kunai. Kabuto visibly relaxed at the gesture, sighing.

"Good to know I won't die right here and now."

_I wish._

"Shoot," Kabuto said, sitting at the fire opposite Sakura who became tenser, her skin prickling at the close proximity.

"Stop," she snapped.

Naruto and Sasuke looked to her, the former with wide eyes.

"Sakura, I know he's technically an enemy, but put that aside for now. We could use his information," Sasuke tried to reason.

Sakura glared at him. "You are not convincing me. What does he want? He wants something from us." Her sight transferred back to the doe-eyed silver-haired within a foot of her. "What do you want?"

Oh, there was so much more she wanted to say to him; like, how she _knew_ who he was.

"Nothing." He frowned. "We're from the same village. I'm helping a comrade."

The anger crawled up her throat where she barely stopped it.

_Stop saying that!_

There wasn't much she could say to her teammates without slipping up somehow. Even her obvious resentment to his presence could be harmful, but all instincts were telling her to kill this man; to attack. He had to die.

Sasuke asked some names; Gaara of the Desert, Neji Hyuuga (where a short conversation between the three boys occurred about his relation to Hinata, to Naruto's dismay) and finally a name that made Kabuto pause and Sakura stare at the Uchiha with wide eyes.

"_Orochimaru."_

She wasn't aware the Snake Sannin had given Sasuke his name, but he must have.

Kabuto laughed – nervously, Sakura noticed. "Orochimaru? That name does not ring a bell."

Sasuke glowered. "You said you have everyone in the Chuunin Exams in that deck."

"Well, I thought I did."

"Fine. Shirako Namui," he said.

"Alright. Let's see," Kabuto murmured. Within seconds he gave Sasuke the card, who stared at the stats intently before he looked at Kabuto.

"This is wrong," he growled.

"Oh?"

"The person I fought did not have these abilities," he explained. "There is no indication on here about them ever using snakes, but the person who attacked us at the start had the skill to possess them. And the taijutsu stats are wrong. What's even more incorrect is that the person I fought was a male, not a female."

Kabuto was silent for a moment as he swallowed. "A clone, perhaps? Maybe someone took her face."

"That would make sense," Sasuke agreed. "He did pull his face off."

The medic-nin chuckled. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I don't know who this man is, and I'm sure glad I didn't encounter him. He sounds kind of scary." He then sighed. "I honestly don't need this scroll." He took it from his bag again and put it by the fire. "You can have it if you want, but if you don't want anything from me, you are welcome to burn it. However, just think about the chance of finding another Heaven scroll. Yours was burned, many others have been taken, and who knows, maybe the two teams that got killed by the fire both had the scroll. Do you really want to risk it?"

Naruto shook his head profusely, while Sasuke stared contemplatively. It was only when Kabuto bid them farewell and left with a polite wave over his shoulder did Sakura relax a little.

"What should we do?" Naruto asked them.

"We take it," Sasuke answered. "I know I'm not the only one who wants to fight those guys. You do too, don't you, Naruto?"

"Well, yeah, but…" He looked to Sakura glaring holes at the scroll.

"Just take it," she growled.

"You're acting weird again," Sasuke noted.

"I'm being cautious."

"There's a difference between suspicious, cautious and just strange, Sakura," he retorted. "And to be honest, teammate or not, some of your actions have been questionable. Not because they were wrong, but because it was you who did it."

"I thought we went over this already."

"We did. I won. You gave me no reason."

"Guys."

"We can talk later, Sasuke."

"What if that's too late? What if we're attacked before the end of the exam and I need to rely on you?"

"Are you saying that I'm losing your trust?"

"You're a strong kunoichi for our age, Sakura. I trust your abilities, but sometimes I feel like you're hiding something from us. I've felt this since Wave, and if there's one other good thing about this exam it's that it's given us the opportunity to see our teammates in gritty situations and how they react. My feeling has gotten stronger. You've gotten weirder since this exam started. You've taken charge. You chose to run, straight away, the moment Orochimaru attacked us. Why? He was alone. For all you could have known, we might've been able to take him, but your decision was so direct, so quick, how could I not notice? Then there's your hair, your knowledge, and don't get me started on your body itself and eyes."

"I trained."

Sasuke snorted. "You can do better."

She slapped him so hard the sound echoed in the clearing. Naruto stared in horror at the rosette towering over the Uchiha lying on the ground, holding his steadily swelling cheek. Her anger pulsated as she inhaled and exhaled heavily.

Growling, Sakura stamped closer to him and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up from the ground. "Can't people change?" she shouted. "Can't they get an epiphany? Can't they? Huh?" She was practically spitting in his face.

"I thought you loved me," he whispered, his dark eyes narrowed.

"And who says I still don't?" she cracked. For a moment there she became lucid, her sub-conscious, her Inner, being pushed back from saying what she truly felt, but just as quickly she was back.

Sasuke frowned.

"Just because I'm not throwing myself at you, doesn't mean I don't feel anything for you," she explained hastily. She pulled him closer so that her nose almost brushed his, and then she spoke slowly and clearly. "I. Can. Change. Sasuke. What were you going for? I'm not doing drugs. I've not put my body to science. So what do you want me to say?"

She saw doubt flicker across his face. She hoped that would make him stop guessing her, and for a moment he seemed to believe it, but she knew that he'd always wonder about what exactly changed in her to make her act so differently.

The hardest thing about it, somehow, was that he'd never get to know. If he found out, if any of them found out, it wouldn't be from her. And she doubted Ino would tell anybody.

"You can let me go, Sakura," he spoke calmly, his breath brushing her face.

Her fist unclenched and the Uchiha collapsed to the floor, the dirt sprinkling over the dimly lit fire. He swatted off any lint and massaged his red cheek, sending the heaving Haruno a biting but scrutinising glare as she sat back down at the fire without taking her eyes off of him. Naruto remained silent, shaking in his spot as he waited for his teammates to calm down.

"What the hell guys?" he breathed. "We just dealt with this yesterday. Why do you two seem to have more problems than I have with Sasuke?" He frowned. "Sasuke, why are you the middle of all our problems?" He snorted.

"Because he's a jerk," Sakura answered.

"Because I'm observant," Sasuke quipped.

Naruto sighed. "I think Kakashi needs to think of another team-building exercise for us."

_Seems like Naruto's become more mature because of all this,_ Sakura mused. _He actually wants us to get along, and is willing to do something to improve the team. I hope this stays_.

"So we have a Heaven scroll," Sasuke began, still prodding his cheek. "We have to be careful we don't run into anyone else."

Naruto nervously scratched his head. "Hey, don't jinx us Sasuke." He paused, then burst out laughing at the put out look on the Uchiha's face, which grew more irritated the longer the Uzumaki rolled about on the floor. "You look so stupid with that handprint!"

"Shut up, loser."

"Says the one who got slapped by a girl!"

"I can slap you too, Naruto," Sakura warned.

The blond flinched, shuffling towards the Uchiha frantically. "Sasuke, save me."

"Hell no."

"Traitor!"

_Don't say that, Naruto,_ Sakura begged internally.

"Hm. Loser."

The rosette sighed. "Children, stop it."

"You were the one losing it before, Sakura."

"Do you want your other cheek to be slapped, Sasuke?"

"Hell yeah! Make it match!"

"I'm not talking about _that_ cheek, Naruto."

"You touch me, you die," Sasuke hissed.

"Are our arguments always going to end with this?"

* * *

><p>Sakura hadn't really spent too much time in the tower whenever she frequented the training grounds. Maybe it was because of the memories of the first Chuunin Exams, or because her skills just worked better in a forest environment that a simple punch to these walls would shatter it, but either way, she didn't realise it was so old.<p>

The entrance room they stood in, reading the message on the wall above a solidly locked door, was brightly lit from the sun shining through outside. There were cracks evident in some of the weaker areas of the walls, and one or two spots of the floor was elevated and fractured. At the same time it was so dusty that all of their footsteps kicked up a billow of visible dust.

The small test that came afterwards had gone similar, except they had time to spare. Iruka had the familiar fond expression on his face as he looked over them and then broke his lips into a smile at the sight of the soaked Naruto (it figured they'd get a fight at the finish line). His remark that they really got into the thick of things was an understatement, but he seemed impressed with this.

He admitted his reluctance to allow Kakashi submitting them into the Exams, but after learning just how much they had trained (and how much they didn't show), he conceded. With that same smile he went on to say what he was impressed with each of them.

Naruto, because he could see growing maturity and understanding in his eyes; a firmer grip on what it was to be a ninja and what had to be sacrificed if you just wanted to live. He learned by example, first by Sakura who killed with hesitation, before fighting head on, ready to kill if need be, when they had been attacked more times after.

Sakura, because she was pure instinct, a sort of foundation for the boys to fall back on. Iruka noted that the Earth element suited her well after all, if that was how she was going to continue to be in her future. She was a source of trust, she was their medic, their backbone. She held the team together.

And Sasuke, because he just seemed to realise what mattered, how the life of a ninja worked; how they worked in _teams_, and not solo. He radiated respect – grudgingly, maybe – for his team members, and showed obvious trust for them with his life. In his posture, Iruka could see that he learned what it meant to be scared and powerless and how important it was to gauge an opponent's ability before pursuing them. He was learning the meaning of retreating, something that Naruto had still yet to understand – that guaranteed the chuunin a shout of protest from said blond.

Sakura was actually quite astonished that they had all unknowingly learned so much; even herself. She had been the one who held the team together last time, but now she could feel it so much stronger. She could feel _everything_ much stronger now.

A lot had changed; _a lot_.

When Iruka had disappeared the three were left standing, staring at the door that led them onto the final exam.

"We did it," Naruto breathed.

"No, there's one more exam left," Sasuke answered.

_One and a half,_ Sakura thought.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto asked, opening the door and leading the way through a thin corridor that felt like an illusion leading them in all directions before they reached an open archway extending into a foyer filled with the remaining teams.

They all looked in their direction the moment they entered, and Sakura instinctively ran her eyes over them to judge their current state. The Sound trio had not yet arrived, but there was still time if they did. To her relief, the rest of the teams were the Rookies from Leaf, Kabuto's group and the Sand Siblings.

They had barely taken five steps into the foyer before Lee had bounded out of nowhere and happily greeted her. His black locks were mussed up and clogged with leaves and mud, which made her grin automatically at the sight of him. And, for a second, she was disturbed. Lee had never actually saved her in the forest this time. He never had to. So what would that change?

"Dear Sakura! It would be an honour for me if—"

"Lee, we don't have time for these distractions," Neji interjected harshly suddenly, grabbing his teammate by the shoulder and pulling him back.

"He means flirting," Tenten added, floating out from behind the Hyuuga to nod a greeting to Team 7. "You look quite well, you three. I'm impressed."

Naruto snorted. "Ha! We're better than you think!"

Sakura could see Sasuke resisting the urge to face palm. Tenten stared at the blond with lidded eyes.

"Wow. You have no ego whatsoever," she stated dryly.

And then Sakura felt her skin crawl at the sight of a brief, lightning quick smile appearing on Sasuke's lips. Smiles were rare with him, but they were more frequent than she remembered. He wasn't an emotionless body completely, no matter how much he tried. There had been times during training or a D mission before the Exams that he did smirk or smile.

But that was with friends. With people he trusted.

He _smiled_ at a _joke_ from a _stranger_.

Maybe this was a sign of how he was changing from being without the mark.

Or hell was freezing over.

"Sakura, you're staring," his lips mouthed, and the rosette shook herself back to reality. He was frowning slightly but she hurriedly looked away.

"It seems that we'll be opponents for whatever the Final Exam is," Neji remarked. His pearl-coloured eyes glimpsed over each of them, and maybe he was satisfied by their roguish look because he didn't comment on how pathetic they looked.

Naruto suddenly got eerily close to the Hyuuga as he stared with scrutinising eyes. "I know you're related to Hinata," he said as if it was an old-age secret.

The long-haired brunette glared and the atmosphere felt icy. He didn't bother answering before he left, Tenten dragging Lee behind them and mouthing apologies over her shoulder. Sakura followed them with her sight until she met Ino's gaze (her team was in a corner of the room). Squinted and through-the-soul-worthy, Sakura wondered what the blonde was searching for.

They had barely interacted, and now that she thought about it, it seemed, or felt, that Ino was a little overwhelmed or scared of her. To be honest, she was more concerned about surviving with Naruto and Sasuke that staunching a possible wound in a relationship never occurred to her. Was it too late?

A single step towards her and a narrow of the eyes and Sakura feared that in the least there were complications, but Ino – the future Ino – was someone she knew she could rely on. The blonde was notoriously honest and blunt, kind of like Temari, but Leaf Village version. She was quick-witted and hard to impress and almost impossible to get close to with all those walls, but she was worth it.

She was like a gem to Sakura, that she hadn't seen it properly until now.

Funny how even with a second time in the past she was still making mistakes, just different ones.

"Quit it!" someone suddenly yelled, and all eyes turned to Kiba in his offense stance. It took a moment before Sakura realised who he was doing it to, and it was Gaara on the opposite side of the narrow room. She frowned.

Temari and Kankuro were looking both perplexed and amused at the order from the Inuzuka. Their eyes were dropping to their youngest brother as if silently asking him if he knew what he was doing.

"Kiba. Calm down," Shino warned. Akamaru growled, and Hinata stood worriedly behind the Aburame, peering over his shoulder.

Kiba glared at his friend. "I will when he stops looking at Hinata like she's dead meat!"

Hinata squeaked and hid further, but that comment made tension in the room compact together like muscles, making it harder to breathe and think. Sakura could hear Naruto murmuring to himself, see Ino's concern and Neji's furrowed brow, but she was more worried about what she had seen about Gaara and Hinata.

Kankuro snorted. "Is that seriously all you're worried about? You'll be dog-chow as well, kid, if you continue like this."

Kiba seethed, and Gaara was unwavering, his stance like a stone pillar and his arms crossed. He was calm and collected, looking as though he was merely inspecting a piece of artwork rather than chanting death in the back of his mind – this, Sakura feared, was directed towards Hinata rather than Kiba.

At least until he responded.

"Is that a challenge?" Gaara asked softly.

"I don't like this," Sasuke whispered to her and Naruto. "The Sand-nin looks untouched. How is that possible?"

"So he had a shower?" Naruto suggested.

Sasuke glanced at him petulantly.

"Well, it's possible. Maybe not a shower, but a dunk in the lake." He peered down at himself, damp and muddy. "I see your point."

"If you want it to be a challenge, then it is!" Kiba shouted back.

Kankuro and Temari exchanged a look of fear and hesitance as their youngest sibling turned fully to Team 8, his previously crossed arms falling to his sides. "Gaara," the blonde whispered. "Should you really be—"

"Quiet."

The entire room went deathly silent at that simple, guttural command. The expressions on Temari and Kankuro's faces morphed into blatant panic as they took a small step back from the red-head, whose eyes were matched with Kiba's. Sakura knew she wasn't the only one to feel that chill go down their spine. It didn't matter how many years had eroded Gaara, she had almost forgotten how damn scary and powerful he was as a child.

"Look at Kiba," Sasuke whispered. "He's trembling."

Naruto, for once, was silent.

_But is he trembling out of anticipation, or fear?_ Sakura asked herself.

Gaara had simple flexed his fingers before a drawn out creaking and grating sound flooded the foyer, turning all heads to the slow opening of the aging oak doors in the centre opposite Team 7. More light gleamed in, bringing with it a dry rock scent strong enough to make Kiba's nose scrunch in distaste. A single figure stood at the doors, heavy lidded eyes focused on the Inuzuka and Gaara.

"Save it for arena," the man said, coughing quietly into a fisted hand before head gesturing to the room behind him. "Follow."

Sakura's heart began to race as she watched the remaining ninja trickle into the room, Gaara and Kiba entering at different times under the order of the man whom she remembered was the proctor for the Preliminary Exams, though his name escaped her. She inched forward unsurely, until Sasuke nudged her elbow and she followed in, approaching the collection of ninja at the head of the battle arena.

Split into rows of their teams, Sakura's eyes unconsciously rested on anybody she knew was a definite threat. She counted the teams around her once more, and froze when she realised there was one less.

_The Sound team isn't here,_ she thought.

The Hokage's voice snagged her attention as he began explaining the situation; how there were more shinobi than expected that passed, how they'd have to fight, then and there, in one on one battles to determine who'd be in the Final Exam, and how everyone had to participate.

_Everyone._

As the genin around her either protested, groaned in tire or remained silent, Sakura covertly peered at Kabuto down from her. His lips were twisted slightly into aggravation, which could easily be mistaken as him knowing he wouldn't do too well in the following rounds, but she knew what he was thinking. It was a setback that he had to take part in the Preliminaries.

"To advance to the next round you must win your fight by any means possible," the Hokage continued. "The matches will be randomised, and will be overseen by proctor Hayate Gekkou." He gestured to the coughing man.

A short silence followed until it was shattered by a plate moving out of place to reveal a black screen, on the sand-coloured wall behind the signing statue. Eighteen names were displayed at once, then two before they were scrambled. Sakura felt dread slip down her throat like black ooze as she watched the juggling. She knew that the matches were not going to be the same the moment she realised Team Sound – or any other team to take their place – did not show.

Then two names appeared and the Preliminary Exams had begun.

_Hinata Hyuuga vs Kankuro_

Murmurs and glances were sent Hinata's way as she flinched under the idea that the boy standing not far from her and dressed in black was her opponent. He leered at her, baring his teeth threateningly, and she flinched. Sakura slowly vacated the area with the others, watching as Kiba and Shino muttered some words of encouragement to the Hyuuga whom they slowly left in the massive arena by herself.

She looked tiny.

"She looks ready to faint," Naruto said, leaning on the rail of the balcony. He and Sasuke peered further down to see the concerned faces of the Hyuuga's team and mentor. Kiba's expression seemed set in a frown, his sharp nails etching over the metal bars in front of him the longer the pre-match moment drew on. His previous anger for the Sand Team was still there, making Kurenai glance down at him occasionally in concern.

"That Sand nin has got this in the bag," Sasuke mused as Kankuro lazily fell into position opposite the Hyuuga.

Sakura didn't say a word. She gripped the rail tightly in her hands, her jaw tight as she witnessed Hinata shiver.

"Begin!"

"Remember your strengths, Hinata!" Kiba instantly shouted, and it worked. She seemed to snap out of her reverie long enough to prepare herself in the Hyuuga stance, but then she wavered.

Kankuro was like a statue, his hands crossed and his lips downturned as if he detested the idea of fighting her. His eyes narrowed when Hinata whispered something under her breath and her own were framed with thin visible veins that looked quite intimidating.

Since he wasn't moving, the Hyuuga brought the battle to him.

At first he dodged with ease, but then her jabs at his body became increasingly faster that he was getting visibly frustrated by her technique. At a point when he seemed to finally strike back, Hinata retreated back several feet, her hands out, and paused. A surprisingly new look met her face, a determination that Sakura was glad to see could still come out without being encouraged.

Kankuro was a puppeteer, and it was more than likely that Hinata could see all the chakra the ninja was using to keep a hold of his front. Sakura remembered that the man in front of her now was actually a puppet, and Hinata could see that, but Kankuro didn't know it. Until now, it seemed, when all of a sudden he collapsed like a doll to the ground, eliciting a few confused murmurs from the balconies. Sakura didn't tear her eyes from the battle to risk a glance at Neji or her team, or even Naruto and Sasuke.

She had no idea what was going to happen. She had to watch.

The white bandages began to unfurl rapidly and a black figure bloomed from it, rising with an air of seriousness and frustration. Brown eyes glowered at the female Hyuuga, who cringed slightly at the venomous look of promised pain.

"Fine. You found me," Kankuro hissed. "Big deal." He shouldered the rest of the bandages onto the floor. "Those eyes, though. You knew where to hit me to disconnect my connection with my puppet," he continued. "You could see it all, couldn't you?"

She narrowed them.

"I guess I'll just get rid of those, shall I?"

"Shut th—" Kiba was quickly stifled by Shino and Kurenai. The Inuzuka shoved the Aburame away roughly and Akamaru whined in worry at his feet.

Hinata remained resolute.

Kankuro raised his hands and the clone at his feet rose, shuddering as the connection was renewed before it sprung to life, the jaw unhinged in a way that made a chill go up Sakura's spine. Brought out of hiding, Kankuro started the battle again with intensity, his brain working quickly to understand how the Hyuuga worked, how she moved.

She was lithe and surprisingly fast, able to see in all directions that he came at her in and deflect any kunai or senbon or needles. However, he was incredibly deft at handling his puppet that she was stuck fending it off. She danced, she spun, her hands whirring until finally he got too close, sinking in her blind spot to slip a katana through her. She gasped, and blood seeped before she grabbed the blade with her bare hands and snapped it, the sound echoing as she delivered a final palm swipe to the neck of the puppet.

It broke with a hollow thud, and wood chips cluttered to the ground as she slipped away from the puppet. She instead turned her bloody hands to the puppeteer, who didn't look the slightest bit worried. She was panting from exertion now, and was leaning slightly to one side to rid as much pain as possible from her wound.

Hinata saw his fingers twitched and she came at him again. Her senses told her the puppet was moving again from behind but she took the finally lunge. Kankuro, seeing that she was too close for his puppet to reach her in time, abandoned his attempt with it and whipped out a kunai, grabbing her wrist in a blur as soon as she connected with him and angling the blade to her neck. She swung under his reach from momentum, her hair slicing from the grazing attack, and suddenly had two fingers pointed at the back of his neck.

Kankuro halted completely, the stadium still and quiet save for Hinata's puffing. His grip around her wrist tightened and she winced at that and at the painful angle she twisted her body into but in retaliation she pressed her fingers against his skin as a threat.

"You can't produce chakra strings," she told him, chest heaving. "I've blocked all the chakra to your fingers off, so just say it."

"I don't admit defeat," Kankuro growled.

She hesitated for a few seconds, and the moment Kankuro showed any signs of fighting back, she pressed down slightly on his neck and he collapsed instantly to the floor, unconscious. Hinata Hyuuga straightened as she strained for breath, looking up to her shocked team members just seconds before she was announced the winner.

Sakura couldn't believe it. Heck, _none_ of them could believe it; though she_ should_ have expected it.

Naruto cheered loudly, his vocals matching that of Kiba's who all but sprinted to the ramp with Akamaru to meet her. Lee and Gai was added to the mix of voices as well, and Kurenai and Shino looked so damn pleased that it almost made Sakura's heart melt. And then she looked passed all the bodies to see Neji's reaction; nothing.

His face was a blank canvas. Even Tenten (and Shikamaru not far from her) peered at him to see how he'd react but there was nothing.

"Surprised?" Kakashi asked her.

Sakura looked up at him, feeling sweat line her cheeks as it rolled down. "Not just." She exhaled.

The buzz of Hinata's victory was still humming even after several medic-nin ran in with a stretcher to carry Kankuro out, and a final two others to collect the remains of his puppet. Gaara appeared unfazed by the outcome, but the look he was giving the Hyuuga as she walked back into safety was unnerving. Temari was suitably troubled by it though, and she was conversing with their teacher in a hushed voice. In the background the screen starting spinning names again.

"This is harder than I thought," Sakura muttered to her teacher. "Watching this, I mean." _I'm so blind to everything that can happen now._

"Wish you knew what would happen?" Kakashi asked.

"Almost."

"Well, I don't," Naruto interjected, slipping in beside Sasuke to his original spot. "That would ruin all the surprise."

"I wasn't aware you liked surprises, Naruto," Kakashi said, crossing his arms. The blond beamed at him.

"Duh, Kakashi-sensei. Who doesn't? I'd love it if people left me ramen vouchers more often."

"That wouldn't be much of a surprise," Sasuke told him.

"They wouldn't tell me, _Sasuke_." The blonde rolled his eyes.

"I don't like surprises," the Uchiha admitted.

"Why? Because you were _wrong_ when Hinata owned her match?" Naruto taunted in a sing-song voice. Sasuke scowled at him. "Well, you'll be in for a surprise when _we_ finally face off, I can tell you that!"

The scowl vanished into a confident but excited smirk. "You're on."

"Which will be sooner than you think," Kakashi stated from behind them, and the two genin looked at their teacher and a wide-eyed Sakura before turning to the screen.

_Naruto Uzumaki vs Sasuke Uchiha_

Sakura couldn't believe it.

It felt like all of Konoha was staring at them, at all of Team 7, but she knew that it was more on her two team members. Murmurs raced down their side of the balcony as Sasuke and Naruto got over the shock and started for the arena, smiles instead reaching their lips. Sakura wished she could share their excitement and enthusiasm, but she couldn't.

She just couldn't.

"Sakura, relax," Kakashi whispered in her ear.

She flinched, suddenly realising the pain in her hands from how tightly she was gripping the railing. She let go and flexed her fingers.

"Relax, Kakashi-sensei?" she said back; her voice cracked once. "_Relax_?"

He tilted his head sternly at her. "Yes, Sakura. _Relax._"

She opened and closed her mouth in silent frustration. "I can't, Kakashi-sensei," she admitted, tears swelling. "I—"

_The last time I saw the both of them together was when Sasuke tried to kill me, and they fought. They almost killed each other then. I don't think I can see them fight anymore. I don't care if it's a controlled environment. It brings back too many memories that I had done well in suppressing until now._

_Why now? Why did they have to fight now? Why at all?_

Her vision sharpened on Kakashi's serious expression, and she swallowed. "I'll be fine," she croaked out, blinking back the tears completely and turning back to the hanging battle.

"Begin!"

Naruto began it straight away, spinning some shuriken at the Uchiha who deflected them and thread his wire through the holes, sending them back in a flat array. Naruto escaped upwards, producing one clone and splitting, coming at him from either direction. Sasuke ran towards one without hesitation and engaged him in taijutsu, managing to slip him into a headlock as the second clone came at him. A sudden presence behind him and he bent his body, feeling and hearing his navy shirt shred as Naruto's kunai skimmed his side and was buried into the clone in the Uchiha's arms.

Smoke clouded as Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm at his side, twisted his wrist and tossed him at the final Naruto – both exploded and a shadow of a shuriken went spinning towards the Uchiha. He blocked within a fraction of a second with four shuriken, the force of the blow sliding him backwards. The larger weapon suddenly became smoke and clouded Sasuke's vision. He coughed as he concentrated and activated his Sharingan.

Duly he noted that the smoke of the clone smelt like the real thing and he ground his teeth, impressed that the knucklehead remembered anything Sakura had said about the smoke disrupting the senses.

Flipping out a kunai, Sasuke brought his arm over his nose as he waited for Naruto's next move in the clouded arena.


	12. Sakura's Fight

_This chapter explains why my sister was cackling like a witch. She chose Preliminary matches from a hat, then from the winners, the matches for the Finals, so please don't blame me. :3 They all seemed a little too staged, didn't they? T.T_

_And thank you everybody for your constant support. I love it. XD_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER TWELVE—<br>**_Sakura's Fight_

* * *

><p>Sharingan eyes peered into the smoke smothering him. The urge to cough tickled the back of his throat, but he held his breath as he scoped around. Suddenly he heard another clone spontaneously explode not far from him, then another on the other side; he felt the smoke of them brush against his tired body. Sasuke exhaled, blinking back tears as his eyes begin to water.<p>

A blur of orange left-below was his only warning before he blocked a blow from Naruto, then another from above opposite. He gripped both clones wrists tightly, his kunai digging into one of them, then raised a leg and kicked a third melting from the smoke in front of him. More cloud bloomed, and he let go of the Naruto clone by his shoulder to slice it across the neck then gravity-punch the Naruto at his feet – both exploded.

The smoke was thicker than before. Sasuke coughed and retreated out of it, breaching cool air to see a barrage of Naruto's raining down on him. He gritted his teeth and swerved through them all, leaping back in the open and stringing some hand seals together. Seconds later balls of fire barrelled through the air, homing in on the multiple Naruto clones as they shouted amongst each other to escape. The few that hit billowed the smoke away into the proctor, who moved from his position.

Sasuke landed deftly on the ground as the back of the final Naruto disappeared into the mushrooming smoke; he smirked, stretching a leg out. He disappeared, circling the cloud with speed before he skidded back to the start and breathed a plume of fire across an invisible thread. The arena was lit with an intense and warm light as it ran along the line and hugged the cloud of smoke. Fingers twisting, Sasuke gripped the fine wire and pulled, the fire squeezing in to capture any Naruto's inside.

They cried loudly, and Sakura shivered at the sound of it. She wished she could look away from the battle, but she couldn't. Sasuke's smirk was a display of dominance and confidence – or fun. It was no where near as feral as the one she was used to seeing, but it still added to the bubbling dread in her stomach. What if he could still end up like that in the future, and the Curse Mark was merely an aid?

"That's dangerous," she heard someone mutter down from her. "Naruto could be in flames."

There was a ripple of explosions and the smoke began to flood the balconies, but his thread snagged on something and Sasuke pulled firmly. A black-sooted Naruto came pelting through, hitting the ground hard then sliding across the floor before he stopped short. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blond's fingers gripping the elevated edge of a tile, and he lifted two fingers; Sakura's heart jumped.

He motioned a whistle and fire travelled down the wire once more, but suddenly the flames dispersed and licks of ember rushed by him as the line went limp and he foresaw Naruto coming at him just seconds before he was blinded by the residual blaze. Sasuke gasped and stumbled back several steps, unconsciously managing to block one punch to the stomach before his head throbbed with a blow to the skull. Air left his lungs the moment he left his guard down and was kicked in the stomach exactly, sending him flying back and then streaming across the floor.

He wheezed for air and blinked rapidly. He could see a blur of Naruto nearing him and swung his leg across the ground, knocking the blond off his feet and trapping one ankle under a foot, pressing down hard. Without wasting another moment, Sasuke was on him and had a fist raised. Suddenly, Naruto shouted, the vocal deep and expanding and echoing as it travelled, and Sasuke was thrown off him, the wind of the attack slamming him against the wall above the double doors.

"He did it," Sakura breathed.

Kakashi chuckled. "That knucklehead's been practising that jutsu for weeks."

For once a thrill of excitement coursed through Sakura, though she ignored _why_.

"Take _that_, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he stood, panting.

"Finish him, Naruto!" Chouji encouraged. A yelp left his lips when Ino whacked him over the head.

The Uchiha balanced himself as he rose against the wall. He wiped the water from his eyes and blinked hard again in Naruto's direction, trying to see through the blur.

"He can't use his Sharingan like this," Sakura whispered to herself. "He can't predict what's coming."

"You should know that a ninja can predict things without the aid of anything," Kakashi said.

"I know. The Sharingan is both his biggest weakness and strength. You, Kakashi-sensei, are in some ways fortunate that you possess only one, and can alternate between needing it or not." Sakura exhaled, chuckling. "I knew you were good, but, wow."

Kakashi leaned against the railing beside her. "Did I ever tell you how I got the Sharingan?" he asked softly.

Sakura furrowed her brow and looked to him. "No."

He hung his head and scratched the back of his neck. "Perhaps I will share it sometime," he mumbled.

His attention returned to the battle, but Sakura watched him for a few more seconds, contemplating what her old teacher's past was. They were good friends back in her time, but it was built mainly on constant presence with each other, with trust and because of their lives as a ninja. She knew him for who he was when she met him and then on, but anything before that was unknown. Reluctantly she tore her gaze from him.

"Sasuke Uchiha, do you forfeit?" Hayate asked from his perch on the railing.

"No!"

He pushed himself from the wall and stepped up towards Naruto, who looked worse for wear. Now that he wasn't moving, it was easy to see some of the burns on his bare arms, and that the sleeves of his black shirt were torn and smouldered. His muddy tanned skin was littered with scrapes and bruises, and his hair was caked with dirt, giving him a feral, wild look. Sasuke still managed to look civilised in comparison.

Thumbing the water away, the Uchiha exhaled and set his red eyes on his teammate opposite him. "It's not over yet."

Naruto chuckled. "Round two."

The moment the Uzumaki lifted his hands Sasuke had burst into action, his speed fuelled by his frustration of the battle. Naruto was rolling across the uneven floor before he could finish his jutsu, gasping and groaning until he stopped. He had barely lifted himself off the ground before Sasuke hooked his foot under him and kicked him hard, flinging him further away.

"How is he so fast now?" Kiba asked further down from Sakura.

"He almost lost against Naruto," Shino answered. "Shinobi can pull great feats when pressured or angered, but the same thing can be their undoing. _You_ should know."

"Shut up."

Sakura had clenched the railing again as she listened to them speak, and she still couldn't tear her eyes from the match below. Sasuke kept coming and coming, leaving not a gap for Naruto to even get up and block. He was relentless.

He was serious.

And then Naruto was. He suddenly countered, catching Sasuke's fist and guiding the flow of the blow over his shoulder, throwing the Uchiha over his sprawled body. Sasuke rolled as he landed the same time Naruto got to his feet and wiped away blood from his broken lip.

"I don't intend to give up that easily, Sasuke," Naruto told him.

The Uchiha frowned then smirked.

"Good. I was getting kind of worried… loser."

Naruto chuckled.

Those words alone somehow shifted the meaning of the match. Done testing each other's skills on backing out of a corner, now came the moment of fun. Sakura could still it in their eyes that they were enjoying this match now, almost like it had become like one of their spars. The only difference was that in their spars their sole aim was to improve, but this match was to test what they knew.

She exhaled, finally able to relax.

Whoever would lose this match would no doubt be utterly disappointed, but she knew they'd come through eventually. Things had changed enough, that she was growing confident in this.

They began again with new vigour. Engaged in tai-jutsu, Sasuke had the speed to slip passed Naruto's defences, and was able to land twice as many blows than the blond could. Naruto suddenly ducked out of range from another punch and created a clone. He split from it, creating a third as he rounded Sasuke who was watching him with glowing red eyes.

Surrounded, Sasuke jumped, smirking when the Naruto's followed him. In unison the blond's started signing a jutsu, and Sasuke let himself plummet to the ground just seconds to the full blow of the wind jutsu spiralling into where he once was. Without wasting a beat, Sasuke performed a fire jutsu up into the centre of the squared wind technique, and the flames beat their way through to the ceiling before it swelled like a balloon rapidly, swallowing the Naruto's.

Sasuke huffed to himself, watching the expanded fire above litter flicks of ash. The clones exploded, making the fire bloat in three locations until a single body came plunging to the earth. Completely black and clothes and hair burned severely, Sakura felt her heart squeeze at the sight of Naruto crashing against the stone ground. She heard some people down from her cringe and Hinata inhale sharply at the impact.

"That was a smart move from Sasuke," Kakashi stated. "Fire has an advantage over Wind regardless, but by using the current of the attacks to his gain, he could capture Naruto in flames while avoiding them completely."

Sakura nodded stiffly, fighting the urge to go down and heal Naruto herself, because she knew who had won the match.

Sasuke straightened himself as he breathed, casting his eyes briefly over Hayate. Naruto wasn't moving from where he was, dislodged ash outlining his body on the concrete. Nodding, Hayate raised a hand and announced Sasuke Uchiha as the winner.

"And I really thought that knucklehead could stand a chance," Kiba commented as he rested against the railing.

"He did," Shino replied tonelessly.

Hinata exhaled in a rush and her shoulders sagged as medic-nin were called from the sides. Sasuke was beginning for the balcony as well, drawing all eyes to him as he deactivated the Sharingan. Lee eyed him with such intensity that Tenten was shaking her head, already knowing exactly what was going through his head, and through her Hyuuga teammate who had that similar smirk on his face.

"Yosh!" Lee cried. "I cannot wait to fight him for real!"

"I'll admit the Uchiha may have talent," Neji confessed, closing his eyes, "but the fact that third-rate ninja managed to hold his own annoys me."

"Lee can hold his own against you," Tenten reminded. The moment Neji glared at her she smiled sweetly at him, telling him that it was not a personal insult. "I'm just saying, Neji. You're the best of our year, but even you can get jealous of what Lee can do, _because_ of what he's limited to."

The Hyuuga tsked, looking away. "You're wasting your breath, Tenten."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling to herself.

Sakura found herself keeping on eye on the unconscious Naruto leaving the arena. All her limbs were begging her to follow after him; he was injured and she was a medic, it was like a bee to honey. Kakashi had to plant a hand on her shoulder to keep her still, and by that time, Sasuke, walking as if he were half asleep, had reached them. He closed his eyes to rest them, and Sakura stared at his content smile.

"Good work, Sasuke," Kakashi complimented. "He almost had you."

"Yeah. He did," he replied softly.

"Knowing him, the moment he'd wake up he'll demand a re-match," Kakashi said. "Would be great training for you for the Final Exams, would it not?" The Uchiha nodded.

Sakura agreed that in the end Naruto would reluctantly help train him while also becoming so much more determined and stronger to find ways to defeat him in the end. She only hoped this rivalry wouldn't extend to the way it had last time, where jealousy overtook. First she knew she'd have to talk Naruto through the disappointment of the lost. He was so close.

"Good job," Sakura whispered. Sasuke contemplated her for a moment, but the juggling of names had begun again. And just as quickly it had stopped.

_Neji Hyuuga vs Kabuto Yakushi_

Sakura tensed at the last name. Neji passed by them with a haughty air, making Sasuke stare after him in interest, and Kabuto was slowly making his way onto the arena, a sharp look in his eye. The moment, however, Hayate had declared the battle to begin, Kabuto raised an arm and shouted that he forfeited. Sakura knew, instantly, that Neji took this as an insult to his pride, and the twisted look in his expression showed just that as he glowered at the spectacle wearing shinobi.

"Do I scare you that much?" the Hyuuga asked.

Kabuto chuckled. "No. Besides, I thought I'd be doing you a favour. A Hyuuga you may be, but your skill level is not known to anyone now. I gave an edge. If anything you should thank me."

He smiled so politely Sakura would have encouraged Neji to rip it off his face, or at least slap some humility into him. She knew from experience that Kabuto Yakushi was anything but modest, which was just a guise for his overflowing confidence. He thought he had everyone under his control. He thought he had everyone _fooled_.

Hayate nodded and affirmed Neji as the winner. The Hyuuga travelled back to his spot with a scowl on his face.

"You really don't like Kabuto," Sasuke stated.

"No, I don't."

"Why?"

"I just don't, okay?" Sakura ended firmly.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the sharp dismissal, which also made Sasuke frown at her behaviour.

"You're doing it again," he told her.

"Doing what?"

"Acting like you know something I don't."

Sakura scowled and looked away. "Believe it or not, Sasuke, but the world doesn't revolve around you."

"You didn't deny it – that you know something," the Uchiha pointed out.

Her frustration was steadily rising again. She didn't realise he could be so clingy when he wanted something.

"I know a lot of things," she bit back. Behind them Kakashi watched as if witnessing a game of ball tossing.

"About Kabuto." It wasn't a question.

"It's a gut feeling, Sasuke! For crying out loud it's like you want to be hit again!" Sakura started to shout. She didn't understand why she would feel so aggravated by his responses. He hadn't spoken to her this much in her last life. It was, dare she say it, almost annoying, but at the same time so interesting.

She realised that he was the type of person who wanted to know all the details. He didn't seem to like being left out of something if it concerned the whole team. He was clingy with what he doubted, vocal if with someone he knew; which could almost come across as worry. He was competitive, and grew increasingly frustrated and angry if he didn't understand things, or if it wasn't going to how he thought, or if he was just plain scared. He spoke to them as if they were equal.

He was open to her, and she only just realised it.

"Sakura, you're staring again," he said, and she blinked rapidly, casting a glance at Kakashi who looked quite amused before she pitted her gaze at Hayate conversing with a Hokage guard.

"Sorry," she murmured.

"Be careful, Sasuke," Kakashi warned. "She might fangirl again."

Sakura froze and Sasuke's expression was torn between a smirk and a look of horror. Overcome with an urge to bury herself, Sakura instead paid vehement attention to the renewed juggling of the names. And then two appeared and she felt Sasuke beside her stiffen. She, herself, took several seconds to realise the names that were chosen, and a fat chill went down her spine as she dragged her eyesight to Gaara opposite her.

_Sakura Haruno vs Gaara_

Then his eyes met hers.

_When she entered the Kazekage's office she saw him behind his desk, working mindlessly on signing some papers that he'd only skimmed. The room was dimly lit by the lamp on his desk. It was evening, and night-time in Suna always made the sand-coloured walls of the buildings so much darker it was like she was stepping into a cave. The few potted plants about the room brightened it in a decorative sense but otherwise Sakura couldn't ever imagine living in houses that made her feel like she was sleeping underground._

_He looked up once and then again, setting his pen down to motion her in. She smiled as she closed the door and approached the desk. Up closer, she could see the young and peaceful face of the Kazekage, a man who, as a child, was shrouded in pain and sadness. After the war, after learning the truth of his parents, this man had changed even more. _

"_You called," Sakura asked._

_Gaara nodded. "I have a small question."_

"_Shoot."_

_His expression was vacant as he continued. "First, I want to thank you for assisting with the recent wounded, and lending aid to our Academy in their learning. It was greatly appreciated. However, I admit I had a second motive for asking you to come."_

_A ghost of a confused frown passed over her face. She hadn't realised there was another reason._

"_Since my sister has given birth and I've… found myself somewhat obliged to be in the presence of the child, I've come to realise a few things," he admitted. Sakura could see how hard it was to talk about this, and she gathered that she was the only person he was confiding in. But why? At best they were mutual acquaintances. He exhaled suddenly, like a man defeated. "Is there a permanent way to assure that I never have children?"_

The emotion she felt from that question tinged in her heart even now, back in time eight years ago. Here he was as a boy with no clue that he had a future – a _positive_ future that encompassed not just his family but his entire village and hers. Here was the reason the Gaara she knew never wanted kids.

"Sakura Haruno, come to the field," Hayate's voice echoed.

She blinked herself out of the memory and robotically turned around at her remaining team; Sasuke looked like he opposed the very idea of the match, but Kakashi appeared interested. Gaara was already on the field, waiting for her to come down, and through the silence of the onlookers, she did.

Her insides were tingling with anticipation, like they were thirsting for a worthy match. Yet her throat was clenching in uncertainty, because she knew what this Gaara could do, and her mind was set into sympathy and pity for him for things that she hoped would still come to be in his future. Did this mean he had to win? But did she also have to?

Sakura swallowed as she stood opposite him and came to a decision.

No, she didn't have to win, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to fight.

"Begin!"

Sakura jolted back as his cork bulleted by, punching a slight dent in the wall behind her. Gaara's eyes slimmed and sand slowly started to dribble from the gourd, pooling at his sandalled feet. Slowly she walked around him, keeping an eye on the sand as it stretched like water out towards her as more fell from his gourd. Like his battle with Lee in her time, Gaara did not even bother watching her movements, instead relying completely on the life of his sand.

She tested with one kunai, which was blocked by the sand that seemed to swallow it until it clanked loudly by Gaara's feet. She could hear the murmuring of the other Leaf Nin watching. Then she burst into action. Skidding close to the sand she punched in Gaara's vague direction, wincing for a moment when the sand caught her fist and rubbed her skin. She pulled back and wavered before the sand wall, testing, until it curled into a ball and gutted her, throwing her away.

A gasp left her lips, yet she remained on her feet, sliding back. Gaara side-glanced at her.

Sakura had never fought Gaara before, not even in a spar. She had only ever seen him fight, and that alone was intimidating enough, but she knew that there had to be another way through his initial defence other than speed. With that thought, the rosette continued to test his boundaries with tai-jutsu and ranged weaponry until she could feel his mounting irritation – like she was a fly bothering him – and she was sure she had at least a few plans.

One hit against the sand created a tiny implosion that was almost instantly covered by the sediment encasing or reacting to the attack. Sakura knew that if she was quick enough to slip through that tiny gap after the initial attack, she might be able to slip through, but she digressed. She didn't have that speed with her own body.

Her own body.

Sakura ran for him again, and he turned to her, his lips parted to talk, until she punched the ground and sent a rush of concrete towards him. The sounds of interest around her were squashed as the stone slab slammed against the wall of sand, and it was sent back with enough force and speed Sakura had to punch it again; it shattered around her and a knew vigour filled her system.

She was ready to fight for real.

Gaara's sand must have sensed she was a bigger threat than anticipated. Arms and waves reached for her the moment she got close to him, and she moved and swerved to avoid, using her heightened instincts of survival to predict where they might attack next. She could barely land a foot on the ground before she had to move again, that it was to the point she retreated further back to safety for a breather. Gaara was facing her now.

"Fly," he whispered. "Just a fly."

The sand reached for her again, for her blood to be shed, and Sakura leapt to the side, rolling on the ground then halting and punching the earth. Cracks split the ground up to Gaara's feet, where sand began to filter just moments he himself had to move to safety. Sakura didn't rest to near him and punch at his feet. Sand darted towards her crazily, but she was gone from the spot as the concrete exploded passed Gaara and he landed on the slope of the medium-sized crater. It was luck that he lost his footing from the pebbles and slammed his hands against the sharp edge of the stone.

Sakura padded to safety by the signing statue as the sand jerked and hovered. She watched, her heart beating, as Gaara stared wide-eyed at his hand where sand from his palm cracked. She felt as though she had signed her own death wish the moment he looked up to meet her green eyes. And it was then she knew she had exceeded his highest expectations of her, because the sand came for her ever faster than before.

He was back on his feet in the crater while Sakura dodged the looming sand, the encouragement of her spectators a buzzing in the background. Hurriedly she pulled some hand-signs and timed it to riskily slam her hand against an arching pillar of sand. It exploded and she deftly slipped through towards Gaara, fist raised to punch the ground, but she felt a slither of a sand-arm curl around her ankle and she tripped, cracking her chin against the floor just metres from Gaara.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura formed a sign and punched her other fist through the concrete and felt the moist soil beneath. Instantly a large earth fist rocketed Gaara from his spot to across the arena. The sand, furious, tightened around her ankle and flung her into the signing statue so hard segments of it cracked and fell. Her head throbbed like a bad headache as she flew through the air then smacked against the ground. Blood spurted from her nose, the bone broken.

The sand dissolved from her ankle and she coughed hoarsely, shuddering as she slowly started to rise again, her hand instantly going to her crushed nose to begin the healing. Gaara was still in disbelief, cracks in his face and on his knees and along his right arm. Pain staggered up her body as she took a step, and a fleeting look at Hayate told him that she was still in the fight. She wrung her hand, walking up closer to Gaara with his sand arms simmering behind him in a threatening way.

Her pace did not falter as Sakura reached down for a slab lining and buried her fingers in between with chakra, pulling the top of the stone up as she walked. With a pulse of her chakra through both flat hands, she pushed the slab in Gaara's direction so fast she had to run to keep behind it. His sand rose, blocking the stone, and with a strong shout Sakura punched the concrete. It cracked and burst into the sand, creating a large opening that she slipped through, stepped down once and then delivered a full strike to Gaara's surprised face.

She had felt his nose break through the sheer force of her blow and for a moment felt pride flitter in her chest as he went flying. That pride was extinguished in seconds when his sand compacted against her back and crawled around her body like an army of ants, squeezing her limbs. Her mouth opened, her cry of pain cut short by the sudden intense wringing of her body. She could feel her bones creaking, threatening to break, and Sakura opened her eyes to see a sand bloody-faced Gaara curling his outstretched hand into a fist.

_Sand coffin,_ Sakura named.

Air was abandoning her, her strength and chakra with it, and then suddenly the sand fell away and she collapsed into someone's arms. Light-headed and disorientated, Sakura could barely see her surroundings, but she _knew_ that colour of green holding her like she knew the trees of Konoha. Then that was all.

_Her face was warmed by the beating sun through the windows. She tensed her eyes then opened them, gazing at the cream-coloured ceiling of the west-wing hospital ward. The white curtains of the window swayed above her and she peered outside to see a cloudless blue sky. The scent of peppermint filled her, along with faint wisps of fresh flowers that drew her eyes to them. A white vase held three cosmos and Sakura smiled, glad to know Ino had visited sometime._

"_Finally," someone drawled._

_Sakura looked the other way to see Shikamaru slap a magazine down on the linoleum floor, dropping his foot from its rest on the white room divider. He leaned over the edge of her bed. _

"_Shikamaru," Sakura said, smiling. "What are you doing here?"_

"_No where else to spend time on a cloudless day," he responded. He sounded more tired than she was._

_She giggled, pushing herself up. He assisted in moving a thick pillow behind her back. "There are loads of things to do on a cloudless day," she told him with a grin._

_Shikamaru groaned. "I know, and they included menial chores thanks to Ino or my mother – or both."_

_Sakura nodded knowingly. "And I was an excuse."_

"_Good to know your injury didn't hurt your brain."_

"_I'm thick-skulled. The enemy has to do better than that to make me dumb," she stated proudly, feeling around her head for the bandages."Who wrapped my head? It's sloppy." _

_Shikamaru chuckled. "Sakura?"_

"_Hm?"_

_He was talking but no sound left his lips._

"Sakuuuraaa…"

She blinked, or at least she thought she did, because this time a young Naruto was hanging overhead. His hair was matted but clean, and patches covered his left cheek, and he was wearing the hospital pants but a new black shirt. Sakura frowned and then a big grin grew on his face.

"She's awake!" he shouted, his voice echoing in her brain. "See? Told you my voice could wake her up, Sasuke."

"Coincidence."

Sakura blinked drowsily and looked to the side to see her two teammates by the white divider of the room that blended into the now ash-grey walls. Sasuke was seated with his arms crossed, while Naruto was squatting on his chair. Kakashi pushed himself off the wall at the end of her bed and saluted with two fingers.

"Alright you two gremlins," he said to the Uchiha and Uzumaki who were still squabbling amongst each other. "Sakura needs her rest, not a bigger a headache."

Naruto gaped, whipping back to Sasuke. "The headache was there before me."

"Naruto, you _are_ a headache," the Uchiha told him, standing up. "I just have to stand next to you and I get one."

Naruto scoffed, following his rival, both seemingly forgetting to even greet Sakura as they made for the door and were gone. But the rosette didn't complain as she blinked again, her brow wrinkled into a frown as she tried to make sense of what was going on and what had happened. She shuffled around in her bed, now able to smell the peppermint aroma.

"How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked, stealing Sasuke's former seat.

"Headache," she mumbled.

He chuckled. "You did take quite a beating," he said. "The fact you managed that final blow on that Sand ninja was impressive."

"Thank you."

"You really let your body go, didn't you?"

"Yes. Considering my opponent, I'm surprised I did as well as I did in this body," she admitted. "The whole fight I could feel a more superior instinct tugging me in the background, to do what I used to be able to do with my old body, but I seem to have a better grasp on what I_ do_ have to not let that stop me."

_And it felt so good to just let myself go. I felt like my old self for once… again…_

"A promising sign for a good kunoichi."

"I am good, Kakashi," she stated, staring at the ceiling. "I was and still am good." She didn't think she'd have to say that to reassure herself, but she was wrong. Unconsciously she was worried she would never be good enough.

"You are good. I'm not denying it."

She sighed slowly. "How did it end? How did I get here?"

"That Sand shinobi had you in his sand but Lee stepped in," Kakashi explained. "I'm sorry that I was not the one who did it."

"It's alright." Lee. He still ended up saving her.

"The match ended with Lee's interference. There was a bit of disturbance after your match, though. The Sand shinobi – all of them – looked unsettled, and I think you've impressed a few of your fellow Leaf Ninja. The following matches were: Ino and a member from Kabuto's team, the female Sand kunoichi and Chouji, the second shinobi from Kabuto's team and Shikamaru, Shino and Tenten, and then finally Kiba against Lee. The winners were, respectively: Ino, the Sand kunoichi, Shikamaru, Shino and then Lee."

Sakura sunk into her bed at the names, Ino's name ringing loudest amongst the rest. "And the Finals?"

"The first round will be Lee and Sasuke."

She laughed dryly at that match-up.

"Lee was, for lack of better word, ecstatic that Sasuke was his first opponent. He hadn't made much of an impression on Sasuke, however, even after he saved you, and his battle with Kiba didn't quite showcase his skills to what I know he can do, but I've informed Sasuke how dangerous Lee can be. I think he looks forward to the match now."

"And how is Naruto handling the loss?" she asked.

"You've been asleep for three days now," Kakashi said. She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "At first he was, naturally, upset. He thought himself too weak and such, but Sasuke slapped some sense into him – and so did Lee, and Hinata, and Ino and… well, you get the point." He shrugged.

Sakura chuckled again, louder than before.

"He's as fine as he can be, and he's sworn to make Sasuke's training hell. Maybe you should talk to him to see for yourself. He's like you: pretty good in putting himself last for the sake of his friends and teammates until he's confronted about his own wellbeing."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I will." The thought of her team made her smile, which widened the longer she thought about it. So this was what it felt like to have a normal team.

"Anyway!" Kakashi dismissed, cracking his back. "The other match-ups are Ino against the Sand kunoichi, Shikamaru and Gaara, and Hinata and Neji with Shino battling the winner."

"Woah," Sakura breathed. "They'll all be so interesting."

"Understatement," Kakashi said. "They're already drawing interest from different Feudal Lords, and I hear bets are also being placed. I, however, wonder how much of them we'll end up seeing."

"Depends," Sakura said, moistening her dry lips. "Do you intend to teach Sasuke the Chidori?"


	13. The Bad, The Good And The Unexplained

_Amazed by everyone's support. And thanks to those who gave me some constructive criticism. I loved how well-received last chapter was! XD _

_I'm very glad the match between Sakura and Gaara was liked, and apologies to those who thought Naruto should have won against Sasuke. I wrote, Sasuke was in his element with his chakra nature, and so he won. Besides, there is also more Naruto can learn from losing. If he won, he defeated his number one rival. He'd be wondering what to do next, wouldn't he? So I admit I added some influence to it, so I'm sorry for doing that and/or if I handled it badly. :D_

_On that note, I'm sorry for the dramatics in this chapter. Some things needed to be tied up a little more, and for some that can be boorrrriiiing! _

_But still… enjoy! :D_

_Warnings? I feel like I strayed dangerously close to OOC-ness, but the scene I have in mind seems like it suited things still. Lemme know if you're bothered? _

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER THIRTEEN—<br>**_The Bad, The Good And The Unexplained_

* * *

><p>"The Chidori…" Kakashi murmured.<p>

Sakura pinched her eyes at him. "It has more weight than you may think." She moved a muscle and instantly regretted, feeling a numbing but squeezing pain cross her body in a flash. She tensed automatically. "Is it safe?" she asked.

Kakashi nodded curtly, and she relaxed, knowing the room was proofed.

"In my time… Sasuke warped the Chidori into something his own, and used it against us – against you."

He winced. "Things have changed."

"Yes, they have. However, Orochimaru is still a threat, which means Sasuke can still be bitten. This is the outcome of changing that event in the Pre-Exams." She sighed, quivering, eyes glistening. "For all I know, Sasuke could still be bitten again. And he'd be drugged. And he'd change. And he'd attack Konoha. Like he did last time."

Her voice had begun to crack.

"Attack Konoha?" Kakashi leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on Sakura's bed. "You failed to mention that before the Hokage."

"It's not something I'd like to remember," she said, voice shaking so much she was almost indiscernible. She inhaled sharply, and she recalled the exact reason why Sasuke had a vendetta against the Leaf Village.

The Council. The Hokage.

It was them.

It was their decision, their mission to Itachi Uchiha, to massacre the Uchiha Clan. It was that single event that shaped her future, she realised, and now—now she could… what? It hardened her for a moment, set an idea in her mind to ask the Hokage about that event, and let him know that it was exactly that that set their future up.

But then she couldn't. She couldn't put that guilt on the Hokage. He'd resolved himself to death in the upcoming Exam, that extra burden wouldn't be fair.

Yet she felt desperation seep into her muscles.

She wanted to know.

Licking her lips, she continued. "He wants power. Sasuke, as much as he's changed, still wants power to defeat his brother. Should you give that boost to him or not?"

"That 'boost' may keep him in Konoha."

"That was your reasoning last time," she countered. "You said you taught him the Chidori in hopes that Sasuke would see there was still strength to be had in Konoha, in his birth town, and that any thoughts of seeking it elsewhere would leave him; except, he had the Curse Mark then."

Kakashi straightened. "I was intending to teach him the Chidori, still," he admitted. "For that exact reason."

Sakura exhaled, wet eyes roaming towards the window to see the day lit life outside. When she breathed in again she felt the pangs of sadness dry up, and instead strength filled her again.

"It's your decision," she told him.

He nodded.

A brief silence followed.

"Kakashi…" Sakura started. "There was meant to be another team in the Preliminaries."

"…Really."

"A Sound Team."

"Ahh. They were disqualified. The female of their team was gravely wounded, so they snapped her neck."

Sakura closed her eyes, squeezing them. She honestly hadn't thought about the fact that they were in the Preliminaries. She fought on instinct. And that not only affected the matches, but also their role with the attack on Konoha.

"It must have been hard for you," Kakashi said absentmindedly, lounging back into the wooden seat. "Knowing just what Sasuke had done to you and your village, and having to be around him almost every day since you got here."

She chuckled dryly. "If I hadn't thought it was a Gen-jutsu I probably would have attacked him outright."

"In many ways, that belief saved our future from being thrown into deeper chaos."

"Yeah," she murmured. If she had somehow managed to harm Sasuke – or if driven by fear and betrayal, managed to kill him – then Naruto wouldn't have had that rival to lead him on. Sasuke was almost necessary for Naruto to grow strong, especially when the Uchiha left. Naruto wanted more power and strength to match him, and overtake him, so he could bring him home. He couldn't do that if he had nothing to spur him on besides a child's dream of being Hokage.

Any other words that needed to be exchanged was put on hold the moment the door was slammed open hard.

"Sakura!" Lee shouted triumphantly, holding up a bouquet of flowers as her teammates walked in cringing behind him with their hands over their ears. Kakashi shook his head and Sakura swore he would have buried his face into her bed if he didn't have a better reputation than that to maintain. "You are awake!"

"It's Sasuke's fault!" Naruto instantly screamed, pointing at the glaring Uchiha.

"Mine? You were the one shouting it out to the world that Sakura was awake," he snapped back.

"How was I supposed to know Lee was right around the corner?"

"How could you not know?"

"He's green! He blends!"

"And you're orange…" Sasuke frowned, crossing his arms. "Why _do_ you wear orange?"

Naruto huffed like an ox. "Why do you wear white like that?"

Sasuke flinched, opening his mouth to retort before a simple, "Boys," cut through and snatched their proper attention.

Sakura was content with the flowers Lee had given her, and it was obvious to her that he clearly hadn't asked Ino – or her parents – for her opinion or knowledge about their meanings and instead grabbed the prettiest ones and bunched them altogether. She sniffed them delicately as the Tai-jutsu user hovered by her bed. Kakashi was sitting with his legs crossed and his arm resting along the back of the seat as he stared at the two boys with a lidded look.

"Thank you, Lee," Sakura told him, and instantly she was rewarded with a cheery thumbs up.

"What a suck-up," Sasuke snorted in the background. Naruto nudged him quiet, earning him a glare.

"It was my pleasure, Beautiful Blossom!"

Sakura scrounged up an awkward smile. "'Sakura' is just fine, Lee."

He seemed to wilt at those words but was back to himself moments later, blending apologies and thanks together in one long sentence he didn't breathe in.

"Thanks again, Lee, for saving my life," she interrupted. Lee looked so happy with himself and her gratitude he didn't really know what to say, and instead nodded sharply and robotically walked out with a red face. Sakura laughed, wincing in pain.

Naruto humphed. "Well, if _I_ was there _I_ would have saved her, unlike _some_one I know." He peered accusingly at Sasuke. Kakashi rolled his eyes.

Sasuke sneered.

Smugly, Naruto added, "I can't wait to properly help train you."

Kakashi chuckled. "In the mean time, Sakura has some resting up to do. With your battered body, I've been told you won't be out until next week."

* * *

><p>Three days later Sakura felt like hitting herself for even thinking her recovery in the hospital would be like an escape from work. At first that belief had done its job and she was somewhat eager to nestle into the white bed and wheat-scented pillows, but the moment she heard the door open and <em>sensed<em>, rather than saw, Gaara stepping in, panic gripped her like a claw.

What a fool she was for not even considering his visit.

What a fool for forgetting that she hadn't just touched him in their battle, but _broken_ his _nose_.

The memories of it swarmed upon her the moment she saw those livid sea-green eyes, and she shivered in fear – fear because she had no way of completely defending herself without getting hurt more.

There was a sand-coloured patch over his nose, surrounded by some tinted purple bruising. It threw off the young-skin colouring of his entire face, instead giving the illusion that he was mangled and abused. It was an image that reflected him completely, or maybe only she could see it because she knew.

The door snapping shut behind him echoed in the room.

"Not going to scream?" he asked, his voice somehow more haunted than she remembered.

The silence was lung-clenching. He was overpowering. She was near to defenceless. Her heart was racing; her lips tightening to withhold the urge to talk about what she knew as just something to stop him, to stall him.

"You would have killed me already if that was your intention," Sakura whispered. She sounded more confident than she felt.

"Trust me. The only thing stopping me is questions. Confusion," he muttered.

"Questions."

"That boy…" he breathed, eyes boring into her. She couldn't look away. Doing so was a provocation. "He was not even on your team, but he saved you. He risked himself. Why?"

Sakura was startled by the honesty, and through her pounding heart tried to think of a logical response. Why did Lee save her?

"Because he has feelings for me," she told unsurely.

"Feelings… like love?"

"It's possible. With time."

"And do you… love… him?" he asked. His voice was toneless, but the ending indication was definitely hostile.

Her throat clenched. She knew about Gaara's problems with this emotion, but had no idea she'd be put into the situation regarding them. If she ever did, she never would have thought it would be at his most vulnerable and unstable state.

And should she lie? Over the years, she grew up loving Lee as a _friend_, nothing more and nothing less. Was that still a love? Should she even explain the difference? Would he even listen to her? What's more, Lee was technically someone she just met. How should she answer at all?

"I just… met him…" she answered, words stilted.

"A mother can birth a child, and instantly love them," Gaara replied. "How is this different?"

"It's maternal love," she stressed quietly, but deep down she knew that he was relating the question right back to his own past and was biased to it all. "They share the same blood." And deep down she knew that she was guilty in his eyes, even before she began answering him.

"You're wrong," he stated. "When I was born, there was no love, only blood. And fear. So much fear. The woman who birthed me died. I never received her love. And the man who was my father looked upon me like no father should look upon their child. I never received his love, either."

Her skin crawled.

"Nor from my siblings."

Her breathing hastened as he stepped closer.

"Nor from my village."

Her entire body was tight, wound like a coiled spring.

"Nor from someone who swore they loved me. Someone who taught me about the word 'love'."

He was by her bed, the small shadows from the corners of the room somehow growing like tendrils behind him. His eyes seemed to glow like green-lanterns leading an unsuspecting and lost traveller to their deaths.

"There is no such thing as 'love'. People look at each other, and see them as a use; something to be used to make themselves feel better. Praise. Fear. Respect. Wanted. Humans call it 'love' but it's not. They're blind. What they call 'love', they say so to make themselves feel powerful. Stronger." His eyes glinted. "But I am here to prove it wrong. The only person you can 'love' is yourself. I love myself, and myself only. Only I can make myself feel powerful. This 'love', this reliance on other people, is weak."

She thought it stupid that the entire time he spoke she saw bits of him, in her time, talking to the Allied Army of Shinobi. His voice, although meant to be menacing like dripping acid, was strong and hard and so reminiscent of his stronger, better self, that all her fear for her predicament had vanished, and Gaara was instead staring face-to-face to a determined kunoichi.

"You're not wrong," Sakura stated bluntly. Gaara blinked slowly. "But you're not right either."

"What do you mean?" She was relieved to hear a note of confusion in his voice.

"I can't tell you," she said.

_I really can't. _

_I've had to learn to love myself over years to get the power I've attained. I've had to make myself powerful to get there. But I made myself get to this point through the 'uses' of others. _

Sakura knew she was treading on thin ground.

"You won't listen, if I tell you," she pronounced.

It felt like a stalemate. She only thought that though because he hadn't raised a hand to kill her yet.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" someone screamed.

Sakura looked passed Gaara to see Ino angrily gripping the doorknob, her blue eyes shrouded by the heavy furrow of her brow. The red-head slowly peered over his shoulder, and the expression she received made her stiffen, brought her back to the reality where this Sand-nin was far more powerful than she could handle.

Ino swallowed stiffly as she stood into the door, opening it wider and tersely said, "can you please leave the room, Sand-nin?"

Gaara paused, turned back to Sakura with a scrutinising look in his eyes, but then slowly began to leave the room. Ino pressed herself harder against the door as he passed, holding her breath like he was a toxic-fume that'd make her sick with a single whiff. The moment he was gone she didn't hesitate to close the door, probably harder than was necessary.

"What the hell was going on?" Ino demanded instantly, dropping a flower – that Sakura hadn't seen in her grasp before – on one of the two chairs her team had brought in. What surprised the rosette was Ino's strong reaction, and perhaps sensing this surprise, the Yamanaka straightened considerably and breathed heavily to calm herself.

"I'm not hurt," Sakura said, deciding it was safe enough. Now that Gaara was gone, her entire body sung with tired pain, most likely from her tensing it the entire time his presence was there.

Ino scoffed. "Because everyone knows you can take care of yourself!"

As soon as she said that she sank into the spare seat and buried her head into her hands. Sakura could only watch her silently. This was the first time they had spoken since before the Chuunin Exams, and while she knew there was something wrong between them, there was nothing she could do about it until the Preliminaries were over.

They were over. And Ino seemed to have the same idea. Maybe she felt compelled to visit Sakura, just because, or maybe she actually wanted to talk, the rosette didn't know, but she hoped she would.

"There's no use lying to myself," Ino mumbled. "Not anymore." She looked up, eyes full of water. "I've tried to tell myself that it's fine, that you being here will be okay, maybe somehow make things better – in what way, I have _no_ idea – but I was wrong.

"You don't. Belong. Here," she accentuated.

Sakura flinched.

"You don't fit in here. I've been watching from afar, and I know there's been things changing, things that you probably _haven't seen_, that are changing because _you_ are _here_. I mean, I _know_ there's no way I could possibly know, but it's just that _feeling_; the feeling that something's off."

"Ino—"

"I thought I'd be able to trust you. I thought that, eventually, I'd find a way to somehow accept who you are, and that everything would be fine, but I can't. You're dangerous. You're scary. You are not Sakura Haruno, not the one _I_ know – not the one I actually found I _did_ trust. You're unpredictable. You're the drop of oil in water."

Eyes began to burn with unshed tears.

"And yet I've found it hard to even look away from you. I look at you, your appearance, and am in awe by how much you've bloomed. _Me._ Ino Yamanaka is in awe, even jealous, of _you_. Because you have the beauty I strive to posses when I battle. Because you have the air that pulsates life and confidence and interest, which I once had but have found is now wilting in the sun."

Tears bursting, Ino slammed her hands on Sakura's bed and matched her watery gaze head-on. "What the hell am I suppose to make of my emotions? I don't know whether to be scared and turn away from you, or look to you even more because you're becoming one of the kunoichi that I struggle to be – _God_, Sakura, now I know exactly how you felt about me!"

Through panted breaths, Ino finished miserably with, "I wish you never told me who you were."

Sakura was silent; a lump in her throat, tears in her eyes, and her heart drowning in guilt.

The only reason Ino found out in the first place was because Sakura was in suspended disbelief when she found out the truth. If it was anyone else she might just have blurted it out as well, though it was unlikely. She knew that it may have affected things between them, which she realised only late, but she didn't realise that she had literally and unintentionally tried to dump her own problem on Ino by telling her.

Ino's reaction now was a result from the start. It was just another wave. Just another wave Sakura had no way of controlling. But what depended was how much Sakura was going to let this wave beat down on her.

"Ino…" she began, and the blonde leaned closer eagerly as if she would have all the answers she was seeking. This made Sakura feel worse. "I am _so_ sorry."

It was nothing compared to her crushed expression though, while she moved away slowly, back into her seat.

"'S-Sorry'?" Ino repeated. "Is that all you can say? You've affected my team and my family, not just me. Meanwhile, your team gets stronger and stronger. You don't have anything else to say?"

"I wish I wasn't here," Sakura admitted, those tears falling harder. "I wish I could make everything stop because you have _no idea_ how hard it was for me to see my entire team after everything that's happened!"

Anger was setting in.

"Enough about you!" Ino screamed back. "For months it's been about you! For months, you were all I've been thinking about! For months I've had people talk about you, and comment on how much you've changed! For months I've kept your secret, even though if I told anybody I'd be the one hurt in the end." Her voice snapped like a twig. "I'd be the one in pain, alone, because you had your sensei to turn to. I had no one! And even now, I'm also the only one you didn't come to to ask to help you with the Exams!"

"Girls."

Both females instantly snapped their heads toward Kakashi at the door. He closed the door and approached them.

"You're lucky I put a jutsu up because your screaming would have been heard from all corners of Konoha," he berated; while Ino was the one yelling, he directed it to both of them.

"Ka—"

"I've been outside from the start," he interrupted firmly. He was serious. "But I only intervened now because it was getting out of hand."

"I'm sorry," Ino said, and while she partially sounded it, her anger also made it off.

"Ino," Kakashi began. "I understand how you must feel. Sakura must have seemed to be in the limelight to you, all this time, doing things you knew were different just because you knew her secret. But what you also have to understand is that she had no choice. The moment she set foot here, things were going to be different. And she's trying to fix things, make things better."

Ino shook her head, scowling. "I will never be comfortable in my own skin knowing that someone who knows the future is changing it. The future is meant to be unpredictable. Anything can happen. I felt safer, with the entire world, just _wondering_ and _hoping_ for what could happen. Her, here, tarnishes everything, makes it so much scarier than I thought the future could ever be."

"Well, I'm here," Sakura snapped, tears drying into her skin. "And I can't do anything about it except try to save the lives of everyone I love – loved, whatever – and my village. I'm sorry I hadn't come to you to request help. I'm sorry that I've made you suffer; it was not my intention. You don't have to like me anymore. You can detest my being, Ino, if it makes you feel better, but I—I actually need you to trust me. _Please._"

Ino's face morphed between an array of emotions – hate, distrust, fear, sadness, longing – until she settled on a single one that made Sakura's heart skip a beat. Determination.

"As long as I'm not alone," she mumbled through wet lips. "Not anymore."

* * *

><p>By the end of the week Sakura was discharged with crutches and began attending the frequent training sessions with her team. Naruto looked like he was having a ball trying to beat Sasuke up, or just otherwise being a pain in the ass. Sasuke had quietly confided in her that he wondered if Kakashi purposely had the blond disturb him at odd hours of the day to keep him on his toes.<p>

It was on days where she and Naruto would spend the day with each other – everyone else was too busy training for the Exam coming up quick in two and a bit weeks – that Sakura knew Kakashi had decided to teach Sasuke the Chidori after all; there were also times Naruto had disappeared. And as soon as she was able to expel her crutches she was back into training with them, and Tenten, occasionally.

Sakura had interacted with Ino more than she thought she would after that moment, and each time they locked eyes her words would run through Sakura's mind. Ino seemed to be barely trusting her, but Sakura would take and appreciate what she got. Meeting with the other teams was harder than before. Normally she was able to pick maybe Hinata, but mostly Kiba walking his dogs, amongst the crowds of every day in the markets, or on the outer reaches. Lee was about the only frequent person she had seen, and so was Chouji – and sometimes Shikamaru – at the buffet restaurants.

Gaara was another matter entirely – especially with the occasional midnight visits from Hinata, where they simply sat in silence – and it was one she didn't want to dwell too much on.

But amidst all the frustration beginning to stress her out, Sakura loved the moments she, Sasuke and Naruto would sit down to dinner. It had become an almost weekly tradition, every Friday night. This time Sasuke, despite wanting to train for the Finals, caved in reluctantly to join the rest of his team for dinner.

Sitting between them, all Sakura do for the entire first minutes was stare at her chopsticks between her fingers and grin like an idiot. She could sense the other two miming questions behind her back, probably to ask what the hell was wrong with her, but both chickened it out by the time the ramen had arrived and they dug in – Naruto a little more enthusiastically. She didn't know when or how every time they met for dinner, but they'd start talking.

Just talk; about whatever was on their minds. Naruto about what he collected and hoarded in his apartment, and the occasional mention of his past. Sakura about her improvement on her pottery skills, or being compared to her old self back before they graduated. And Sasuke about books. He detested most romance books, this she could guess, but he had an interesting liking for crime or tactical novels – and also scented candles – she had never imagined.

She could barely remember the moments in her last life where they sat, ate and chatted like this. It was like a dream every single time, and she didn't particularly want to wake up from it.

"—and seriously, the book was full of smut. Burned it instantly! Waste of money I'll never get back!" Naruto regaled through a full mouth. Sasuke and Sakura were so used to this behaviour they didn't even bother turning their noses to it. The blond swallowed and put his bowl down. "Never read it Sasuke."

"Already have," he stated tonelessly, fishing about his ramen for the halved egg he had lost in there somewhere.

Sakura and Naruto stared, wide eyed, the latter's jaw almost dropping. "What?" Sakura demanded, voice muffled.

Sasuke looked up. "Icha Icha?" They nodded. "Read it. Kakashi had snuck into my room when I came home one night and left it as a present on my bed."

Sakura felt oddly mortified. "Why?"

Naruto hadn't moved a muscle.

Sasuke shrugged. "It's Kakashi. What do you expect?"

Unsurely, Sakura began chewing her food again, eyes surreptitiously running up and down his body as he stuffed the egg into his mouth. "Was it good?" she asked slowly.

He gave her a blank look, and Sakura, in defence, put her hands up.

"I'm just asking! You said you wanted to bring back your clan so I was just wondering if you realised what you're going to have to do…"

"Sakura, I'm not Naruto," Sasuke assured. "That sort of thing is not lost on me."

Sakura glanced back to see if the blond even caught the insult, but he still looked a little shocked that his teammate had even read the porn book in the first place.

"It was… informative," the Uchiha added.

Sakura whipped her eyes back to him so fast her hair whacked Naruto in the face. He hadn't reacted to that in the slightest but had instead swallowed and dropped his jaw in even further shock. Sasuke stared at them pointedly for a few seconds, before shuffling back right in his seat with a smirk on his face.

"I can't believe you believed me," he said, chuckling.

"What!" they shouted simultaneously.

Sasuke was trying not to chuckle more but failed miserably, snorting into his food as he tried to eat. It took Sakura a few moments until she huffed in disbelief, lips cracking into a smile before the full belt of laughter came out. She pushed her bowl forward so she could bury her head into her arms on the table. Naruto still couldn't believe he had been had.

"That was below the belt," he remarked, stabbing the air with his chopsticks at Sasuke.

Sakura snorted, lifting her head for a breather. "Literally."

The Uchiha snorted into his food again and Sakura burst out laughing, this time with Naruto finally joining in.

"I was totally had!" the blond exclaimed. "Geez, Sasuke. You had me excited too!"

In unison Sasuke and Sakura stared at him, lips tight. It took Naruto several seconds to realise what he said and he ran a hand down his face and groaned, shaking his head. He chuckled in disbelief as Sakura laughed again. Sasuke, beside her, was covering his mouth to hide the evidence of mirth, and from there they spoiled into euphoria.

They didn't know when or how but they came to inevitable conclusion that it was all Kakashi-sensei's fault. He who read porn in front of his 'cute students', and he who encouraged such comfortable interaction between them to be even able to talk about such things. And frankly, while they complained about their sex-reading teacher in the beginning, he wouldn't be Kakashi without it.

When it was clear the night was coming to an end, it was Naruto that began it with a simple and random, "thank you."

Done folding his napkin into a demented crane and then playing with his chopsticks, Sasuke asked, "for what?"

Naruto beamed. "For having dinner with me. Don't have any family to do it with. You're the closest I've got – well, Kakashi-sensei too, but he's not here at the moment."

Sakura froze, and for a moment she felt guilt glue to her insides. She was the only one of the three who did still technically have her parents. And it made her realise that Sasuke never actually told them himself what happened to his own family. She knew eventually, because Kakashi told her, but otherwise, the whole time as a young teenager neither of them knew the truth.

"Sasuke…" she started. "What about your family?"

The Uchiha was stubbornly not looking at them. Naruto instantly knew that the matter was serious and remained quiet, watching both his teammates.

"I don't have one," the raven-haired whispered.

Sakura saw Naruto freeze in her peripheral vision.

"You have to have wondered why you've never seen another Uchiha walk around Konoha," Sasuke reasoned. "Kakashi has told you all about the Sharingan, how it's a clan-based Dou-jutsu, and how it belongs to the Uchiha."

"Yeah, I've wondered," Naruto murmured. A tense silence took the three. "What happened to them?"

Sasuke's grip tightened around his chopsticks, enough to snap them in half and catch the attention of the Ichiraku owner who rolled his eyes and went back to his cooking. Sakura could see the Uchiha trembling slightly, and feared that he'd shut down from them completely and return to the Sasuke she knew and hated.

"They were killed," he choked out.

Sakura felt cold all of a sudden.

"By this guy you said you wanted to kill?" Naruto asked.

And the chills were gone. She relaxed, watching as Sasuke blinked rapidly and straightened in his seat, placing his broken chopsticks down.

"Yeah," was all he said.

Sakura didn't say a word. She knew she had thought about this matter before; ROOT, Sai, Danzo, the corruption of the council; everything. For a while she was allowed to forget her desire to know the answer for why it was decided to destroy the council, and why with their own prodigy? It was an answer that only the dead knew, back in her time, but now… she wanted to know everything.

Would it be bad if she asked the Hokage why he allowed the Uchiha massacre? Or was that too daring? Was it a secret better left buried?

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, leaving her seat.

"Sakura?" Naruto questioned.

"I'm not angry with you," Sasuke said. This made Sakura turn back around to the Uchiha. "You have a family, but I'm not angry with you because of it."

She huffed in disbelief. "You think I'm leaving because I feel bad that I have a family and neither of you do?"

"Don't you?" he countered, looking over his shoulder.

She steeled herself when she saw his dark eyes, and for a moment she felt her heart skip a beat. The way he was looking at her gave her the chills. She didn't think he'd ever looked at her like that before.

"Yeah, I do feel bad," she said honestly. "But I'm not leaving because of that." And she left before another word could be spoken. She didn't quite know where she was going until she was at the Hokage's tower, and fighting down the urge to turn and head back home, she climbed the steps for his office.

The guard at his door stopped her and asked for her purpose being there, but the Hokage had opened the door and allowed her access. She walked in slowly as he patrolled the outer edges of his office and browsed the books.

"You have something on your mind," he began.

"I have lots of things on my mind," Sakura answered cautiously.

"But there's something in particular bothering you."

"Yes."

He didn't respond, and she took this as an offer to speak what was bothering her.

"The Uchiha massacre…."

This time he looked back to her and fixed on her a stern gaze.

"I just… realised… that everything that happened in my life was a result of the Uchiha massacre," she said.

His silence was suffocating, his motionless body making her feel like an unwanted outsider. Slowly he walked towards her, and Sakura, with all her strength, tried not to back out of the room right then and there, because the expression he had on his face spoke insurmountable volumes that she just could not understand.

"There are just some things that should never have the dust swept from it," he answered.

"But—"

"Sakura Haruno," he interjected. "I understand entirely your position. Questions build up over the years concerning your past teammates or friends or family's lives; why they did this, what they were thinking, what could have broken them so, and so on, and you, having been given this gift to relive your life, desire to know all these answers. But you are too young."

"I—"

"You may have seen the fall of your own village and its rebirth, but never will you have the responsibility and _decision_ of eradicating a whole group of people you thought of as your own family, because you had sworn, as their leader, to protect and cherish them" he continued. "Things in the past, should stay in the past."

His tone was so final it echoed all around her. And his words… reminiscent of Ino.

Her breath was stolen by the ferocity and remorse and whatever other emotions he had flowing out at once, that it took her several minutes to regain a calm mind.

"Then why am I here…?" she pondered, her chest burning with anxiety.

The Hokage stepped back, his hands behind his back as he moved towards the window and gazed up into the night sky. "I have asked myself that every day since you came to me. I have no answer. You're on your own with that."

* * *

><p>For months she had not stopped to properly think about why she was back in time. When it was brought up with Ino, the thought was brief, but now after meeting with the Hokage it was back to the front of her brain.<p>

Why?

With all the questions that sprouted in her past, this question was the one she probably wanted answered the most, and there was no one on this green earth who would be able to tell her. She may have help in travelling through the question, but the answer was something she had to find by herself.

Ino was right. The unexpected, the wonderings of the future, were so much better if you didn't know what was coming, although undeniably frightening. However, it was the future she knew that was coming that stole her mind most of the time.

The days came and went, the Final exams creeping up on all the Preliminary victors like shadows escaping the light. Konoha was abuzz with the news and the matches, money trading hands in bets and flyers being posted to show support. Within the same week as the beginning, people from different countries started to trickle in, and the more she saw the population within Konoha increase, the more Sakura felt incredibly uneasy.

Something was not right.

* * *

><p>The path was lined with trees thickening into the horizon. Bathed under a soft sunset glow merging into blue and grey of night, Tsunade walked quietly with her heavy bag in her grasp. Steps slow and unsure, her eyes blank and staring ahead, she was like a zombie following an unknown beacon calling her.<p>

Shizune padded faithfully and worriedly by her side, Tonton in her grasp. She had given up trying to knock sense into her Lady weeks ago. The jackpot money the Sannin had won was still unanswered with its usual counter of bad luck. She didn't know how long it had been – months, surely – but even Shizune was beginning to wonder; though she wondered more where Tsunade was going. Their travelling felt aimless through the Fire Country, that Shizune hoped they'd find another town soon.

Her hopes were answered within several hours, when they reached and stopped before the large rustic-red gates of Konoha, its walls and entrance littered with patrolling guards.

"Why are we…?" Shizune began, looking up at her Lady to see the first sign of an expression – a tiny frown. "My Lady?"

"The Chuunin Exams are soon, aren't they?" was the gradual response.

"Um, yes. Two days from now."

"Hmm."

She approached the gate, eyes gazing over the shinobi watching her like a hawk, and ignoring the few that recognised her. As soon as she was under the heavy shadows of the gate, two shinobi, alike in their gait, met her. For a moment they stood with their mouths open, ready to welcome them to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Kotetsu, is that…"

"Yup."

Tsunade, her eyes hovering above them until then, sharpened her attention on them, instantly making them straighten with respect. Shizune automatically copied them, more in fear that they might anger her for some petty reason unintentionally.

"Lady Tsunade, it's an honour and unexpected surprise to see you back in Konoha," Kotetsu greeted.

"The Hokage will be in his office, I assume," she stated rather than asked, brushing by them without waiting. Shizune bowed in apology and hurried after, black eyes roaming to the tall Hokage tower by the Mountain Faces. The lights were on.


	14. The Finals

_Thank you all so much for your feedback. XD But I am also so sorry for the low quality of this chapter. _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>—CHAPTER FOURTEEN—<strong>  
><em>The Finals<em>

* * *

><p>"Tsunade," Sarutobi greeted. "This is certainly an unexpected surprise."<p>

"Understatement," Jiraiya mumbled to himself in the corner, eyes directed outside where the streets were dimly blanketed in the moonlight. He felt his old teammate's raking gaze float over him.

"You don't know how many times I've heard that," she stated as she entered, Shizune flowing in behind her with Tonton still in her arms. Tsunade crossed her arms and came to a halt right before the desk, narrowed eyes set upon the Hokage.

"Why are you here?" Jiraiya sparked the conversation that was on everyone's mind.

"Answers," she stated.

"Great! Now if we only knew the questions…"

"Jiraiya," Sarutobi hushed. The white-haired Sannin shrugged his shoulders.

"A number of months ago I won jackpot in a town several kilometres north of Konoha," Tsunade began. "You should know my bad luck with winning anything. I have yet to have the counter curse for it."

"Maybe you just got lucky for once," Jiraiya commented.

"That's not the only strange thing," she continued. "There was also the random occurrence of rain that happened at the same time. And I've also been hearing some disturbing rumours of a certain Demon of the Mist moving about. Now, I can't be the only one who thought this was strange."

This time Jiraiya was silent, and he and Sarutobi shared some obvious looks. "She maybe trustworthy enough."

Tsunade glowered at her old teammate. "Trustworthy enough? For what?" she demanded. "I came here on the off chance you had some sort of information about the weird events and it seems you do, so spill."

The Hokage gently began massaging his temples. "Several months ago, about the same time these events started, I was approached by Kakashi Hatake concerning one of his students. Her name is Sakura Haruno."

"What about her? Is she god incarnate?"

"She may as well be," Jiraiya murmured.

Tsunade frowned. "What? What do you mean?"

Tonton oinked fearfully in the background, and Jiraiya and Sarutobi turned their attention to Shizune for the first time. She flinched.

"She's fine," Tsunade assured.

"That's certainly true," Jiraiya added, smiling, earning him three sets of glares.

"Tsunade, this information is top secret," the Hokage explained. "The council does not even know about this."

She paused at the fact the council didn't even know. "You've already begun, so you might as well finish." At the silence, she added, "Shizune, do you vow never to spread what you hear in this office?"

"Of course." She said it confidently, but the two men only watched her unsurely. She sighed. "I shall leave the room then." Tonton oinked one last time before racing after the black-haired kunoichi and slipping through the doors jsut before they closed. Tsunade cocked an eyebrow in expectation.

"This Sakura-girl is from the future," Jiraiya stated bluntly.

A thick silence followed before Tsunade sighed out loud in aggravation. "Jiraiya. I am not in the mood for your games."

"It might have been best if I was the one who told her," Sarutobi said in slight amusement to the white-haired Sannin. Jiraiya chuckled and shrugged the same time Tsunade stared at her old tutor in shock.

"Are you serious?" Tsunade asked.

"Absolutely," the Sannin assured. "And trust me, I was dubious at first, but then I started watching her train and it was like watching you."

A confused look was flashed his way.

"You trained her, Tsunade," Jiraiya explained. "In her time, you were her tutor."

* * *

><p>Sakura buried her fist into the ground and watched as another made of earth sprouted and pelted towards the speeding Uchiha. He disappeared from view and then soil went flying, shrouding her vision; she closed her eyes and sped away. She sensed him near and opened her eyes in time to see him closing in on her, a kunai in hand. She backed away in reaction until she slammed against a tree.<p>

A swipe and soft thud, Sakura had barely dodged Sasuke's blade now buried into the wood. She punched his stomach but her wrist was grabbed before she even got close. Sasuke pulled her away from the tree and tugged his kunai out of the trunk, about to force her to her stomach when she twirled under his arm and yanked his hand behind his back.

She barely had him when he slid his foot back and hooked it behind her ankle, pulling hard towards him. Sakura stumbled, enough for him to escape her grip and deliver a blow to her chest. She swerved under, arching as his leg swung over her, and in a second punched the ground. Earth sprayed, tossing Sasuke into the foliage of the trees behind him.

"Alright, that's enough," Kakashi cut in, stepping between them out of nowhere.

Sasuke dropped to the ground puffing, slipping his kunai back into his pocket and heading to his abandoned short blade that Sakura knocked from his hand earlier in the match. Sakura nodded to her teacher and turned to their backpacks.

"We could have finished sparring," Sasuke insisted as he and Kakashi followed behind the female back to the shade.

"You need to be in your best shape for the Chuunin Exams. That's why you're taking tomorrow off, except to do the most basic training."

"What about the Chidori?"

"You'll be fine."

"I haven't quite got it," the Uchiha complained, snatching his water from the ground and sculling it.

"You can form enough, Sasuke. Don't get hasty."

"Don't get slow, Kakashi," he countered.

The jounin hummed, looking to Sakura. "Did I deserve that?"

She silently nodded as she drank intravenously. Naruto had disappeared again after sparring Sasuke earlier that morning. Sakura had an inkling of an idea of where he would be but had been trying to not let anything more bother her until the Exams and the attack and everything else was over.

Kakashi sighed. "Your teamwork is getting a little too good now."

"How else can we overthrow you, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura cheekily asked.

The silver-head gave her a tired expression, then sent another one at the Uchiha, who was trying to withhold a smirk himself. Dramatically their teacher sighed again.

"I'm getting too old for this," he remarked.

Sakura giggled.

"Yeah, you are going a bit grey, Kakashi," Sasuke added, peering closer at the older man.

Her laughter grew.

"Alright, you two. Stop being so mean to your old sensei."

"Oh, but Sasuke, when has he ever stopped being mean to us?" Sakura asked.

"I don't recall a time…"

Kakashi sighed again as his two students sniggered in the background.

It wasn't long before Sakura broke from the two to head back into Konoha, her hands squeezing her bottle without thought. She floated through several of the districts, giving the food district a wide berth in case she got tempted. Her mother would complain if she didn't eat enough dinner at home because she decided to squeeze in a snack. And Sakura was actually glad she chose to go down the route when she happened upon Hinata leaving a leather-work store. Despite the balmy evening, the Hyuuga was still dressed in her thick jacket, and in her hand was a brand new pouch.

"Hinata," Sakura called.

She flinched largely, head snapping up, and she stumbled back in reflex. Sakura held up her hands unconsciously. Hinata sighed in relief.

"Oh. S-Sakura. It's good to see you."

"Likewise. Are you ready for the Finals?"

Maybe it wasn't the best conversation starter. Instantly Hinata's head fell, and the small smile on her face vanished. She was nervous.

"My father says I'm not, but Kurenai-sensei says I am."

Sakura frowned. "You made it to the Finals. Why isn't your father happy with that?"

"Because Neji made it in too."

Sakura hadn't realised how strict the Head Hyuuga was on his daughter at this point.

"But he was involved in a different match. You couldn't have helped that," the medic-nin tried to reason.

Hinata shrugged her shoulders a little, fingers gently tugging on the lining of the pouch. Sakura saw the Hyuuga wasn't going to respond, but there was still a question on the edge of her brain that was bugging her. She had to ask.

"What is Gaara to you?"

Her reaction was larger than when she was surprised. Her eyes were wide and her hands instantly clenched defensively around her pouch, moving it towards her body. "N-Nothing."

"Has he hurt you?"

"No! Why would he…?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. "'Why would he…'? Hinata, you've seen him in battle. You've seen him kick my ass. And didn't you see him in the Forest of Death?"

Guiltily the Hyuuga looked away. "No. And he hasn't hurt me. Not once."

Sakura didn't know what to say. For starters, Hinata and her team apparently hadn't come across Gaara in the Forest of Death, which could possibly explain why the Hyuuga wasn't as deathly scared of him as she was the first time. Secondly, Gaara hadn't hurt her once. Threatened her, maybe, quite possibly, but if Hinata was persistent, she may have been just naïve enough to not realise how dangerous this boy could possibly be.

"Please don't tell anybody," Hinata suddenly begged after Sakura went silent.

The medic-nin frowned. "What will I say?" Who would believe her?

"Please."

"…alright."

She sighed loudly in relief, and this time it looked real. The smile had returned, making Sakura feel better knowing that she wasn't just added to the Hyuuga's hit list.

"But I am curious… what is he to you?" Sakura insisted.

Hinata's smile broadened. "My friend."

* * *

><p>It was the day the Finals began. The Finalists and their teachers were waiting comfortably but anxiously in another room joined to the balcony overseeing the stadium. They could hear the screaming of excitement, and the stomping of feet and music of the spectators from above. Hinata swallowed uncomfortably, playing with her fingers and going out of her way to stay out of everybody else's, and particularly her cousin who was glaring in her direction every now and then.<p>

Gaara and Temari were side by side, hovering in a corner of the preparation room, and Ino was pacing on the opposite side, near where Shino and Shikamaru were resting comfortably against the wall. Lee, near them and Neji, was pumping himself up by performing a series of punches and kicks against Gai. Sasuke entered the room late, Kakashi following casually afterwards and purposely avoiding Gai's competitive stare.

Hayate – whom Sakura was shocked to eventually realise was still alive – nodded approvingly as Genma ticked the Uchiha's name off.

Everyone had arrived. The Exam would start in less than an hour, wherein which the two proctors told the teachers to give any final advice to the Finalists. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sent Kakashi a look as if asking if any further advice was necessary between them. The jounin shrugged.

He was prepared to leave then. He knew Sasuke was under control. But Kakashi stopped short for the door, seeing Ino Yamanaka quickly slip through before him. Casually he left and caught her disappearing into the girl's toilets down the hall. Abandoning any self-respect he had right then, Kakashi followed in quietly, seeing the blonde staring at herself in the mirrors and splashing water over her face.

"Nervous?" he asked.

Ino screamed and instinctively threw a kunai at him. He caught it. Panting, the blonde steadily regained her breath and posture before demanding, "why are you in here?"

He shrugged. "What are labels to me?"

She exhaled and turned back to the mirror, oddly surprised by how much she didn't care he was there. She knew it was because her nerves were getting to her more, making her body feel a little numb that she just wasn't in the mood to throw things at him until he left.

"What do you want?" she eventually asked, looking hard into the mirror, at herself, at every single flaw she was tired of seeing.

"I'm curious why you blew up in front of Sakura, those few weeks ago," he said, straight to the point.

Her reaction was something he hadn't expected. She burst into tears, hands instantly covering her face. Kakashi didn't really know how to handle a crying girl, mainly because all the ones he knew – besides Sakura, and she could calm herself when she began – were ones who got angry at him before they let the tears go.

"You had to say that," Ino reprimanded. "The one thing I was trying to forget."

"If it hurts you so much now, why did you do it in the first place?"

She looked up at him, eyes red. "Would you believe me if I said I had no intention of doing that?" She swallowed, but it was hard. "I walked into her room, fully intending on supporting her, but… but that Sand-nin was in there. And when she said she was 'alright', when I saw her lying in a hospital bed, I lost it. Everything I had tried to put behind me had instead rushed out without control, and to be honest, I can't remember half of the things I said."

She exhaled. Kakashi could already see an improvement in how she held herself. It was clear she had been wanting to say this to someone, but there was basically no one she could talk to about it. It was a secret. One that pushed her into corners when she was so used to walking free.

In a way, Ino had been loyal to Sakura from the very start. No one would have believed her should she have blabbed, but she still kept her mouth shut, she went through it by herself and she tried to handle it by herself when she was so used to being vocal with her problems. In that case, Kakashi could understand some of the torment Ino expressed that day.

"I must have been a bitch," Ino muttered sadly. "I'm so confused. I don't even know what I really think about her anymore. Don't you say things you mean the most when you're angry?"

"No, you say things you know will hurt them the most."

Ino sagged against the counter.

"Some of the stuff you said may have elements of truth about how you felt but the bulk of it… you just wanted to see her in pain."

"You seem to know a lot about that," she observed.

Kakashi lowered his head. "More than I would like to admit."

In respect, Ino stayed silent for a moment. "What do I do?" she then asked slowly. "What now?"

"We follow through with the plan. Are you ready for that?"

"I'm not letting Sakura have all the fun."

Kakashi tapped his chin. "Well, now isn't that interesting, considering since you have a bigger part of this show."

* * *

><p>Sakura nervously sat next to Tenten and Gai in the stands, partially glad the latter was cheering so loudly that he wouldn't have heard the brunette ask if she was alright once or twice. She found Tenten's concern endearing and a positive thing, considering they hadn't actually spoken for more than a few weeks. It was sort of similar to last time, where Tenten appreciated having another kunoichi to talk to after being surrounded by two boisterous males and another who refused to give the time of day.<p>

But Sakura could barely hear the brunette's words as she watched and waited for the first match to begin. She knew it was close when she saw the two proctors head out onto the field, and Kakashi appear on the far side of the spectator platform she was on and rested against the wall, giving her a distinct look.

She tried to relax. Honestly, she did. But when the roar of the crowd bellowed all around her, ringing and banging in her brain as the proctor's began to speak, she knew she could never calm down.

She was beyond nervous.

The proctor's spoke, giving thanks to the officials for allowing the Exam to take place in Konoha, then announcing the names of the ninja in the finals and confirming what order they were to fight in. Sakura realised how glad she was that Kakashi assured he wouldn't arrive late with Sasuke after she told him what happened last time, because she was sure she would have exploded with anxiety.

A hand touched her shoulder and Sakura jumped, fisting a black shirt automatically to attack before she realised who it was. Blond hair, blue eyes and a huge smile. Naruto chuckled as he sat down calmly in the saved seat beside her, barely reacting to her almost pummel that would have sent him flying.

"Made it!" he exclaimed. "Thanks for saving a seat!"

Sakura looked him over. He was sweaty and a little muddy, but he seemed too exhilarated to notice hers – and even Tenten's – curious gaze, and was instead focused on the field.

"First match! Rock Lee vs Sasuke Uchiha!"

The crowd screamed, then melted into nothing but muffled noise in her ears as Sakura stood and watched the two boys step out onto the field. So many things sped through her mind, but only one stood out.

Will Orochimaru get Sasuke again?

"Begin!"

* * *

><p>Kakashi was right.<p>

Lee was disturbingly fast.

Sasuke was at first overtaken by his speed when the match began, ending up taking the first few hits before he began to barely evade an attack and the next one came down on him in a frightening barrage. Pockets of earth were splitting and tossing, reminding him of Sakura when she sometimes went nuts destroying the ground trying to get a nick of him.

He jumped and dodged and ducked behind the trees, the crowd a low buzz in his ears as he focused solely on his green-clad opponent charging towards him like a bull from all directions. He had hoped on activating his Sharingan a bit later, but eventually he had enough and let his eyes glow red.

Lee had stopped short at the change and skidded back.

Then he attacked, and Sasuke could see him better. He could anticipate his attacks and prepare to dodge just those few milliseconds more than before. Kakashi's words of memorising Lee's Taijutsu rang in Sasuke's mind, and he did as best as he could as he remained on defence.

Eventually he tried attacking, but was quickly swept away by the strength of one of Lee's blows which had him, for a moment, paralysed, and giving Lee and opening to send him skidding across the ground, a chorus of jeering in the background, loud and heavy. Sasuke coughed as he propped himself up and glowered.

Lee loomed and Sasuke strung some seals together before punching his fist into the earth. He saw Lee's eyes widen in surprise when an open hand of soil shot out, reaching for him like a child to a toy. Sasuke could feel Sakura's and Naruto's eyes on him at this point, as he closed the fingers of the hand around Lee before he had the chance to escape.

The Taijutsu user winced at the compression, gritting his teeth and glaring. Sasuke could see him thinking frantically.

He didn't waste a second before he skidded back and tensed his hand, ushering visible chakra to his palm. The chakra spun like air before going static and whistling like a flock of birds, hot in his palm, and with the weight of Chidori in his hand he pushed himself off into a desperate run, slinging the ball into the captured Lee.

An explosion shook the ground, and Sasuke felt pain sear through his body as he was sent spinning back at such an insane speed he crashed into the wall of the stadium. It took him a moment to get to his feet, his back screaming, his body dizzy and suddenly tired from his confusion.

"What?" he whispered to himself, blinking up to where he knew he had Lee.

And there Lee was. He stood by the remains of the earth fist, blood spreading from his side where his bandaged hand lightly touched to test its extent. He could see the user wince, so Sasuke knew he had hit him and hurt him badly, but he was lost in how he was sent flying like a Frisbee.

Then his eyes narrowed in on two objects behind Lee.

Weights.

The moment his attack hit, Lee was free, and somehow – Sasuke, scrambled in his mind to figure out how – Lee was able to get rid of his weights the same time to attack right after being hit.

Dangling in disbelief, Sasuke was only half aware Lee was right in front of him before he was punched back into the wall, then grabbed by the collar, shoved back into the field then kicked across it. After that, he didn't know how many more times blows were delivered until he managed to grip Lee's wrist by chance before he was sent flying again, this time dragging the Taijutsu user with him.

Together they smashed back into the wall, and Sasuke, vision somewhat dizzy, activated his black glove gripping Lee. Instantly the field was filled with Lee screaming as he tugged hard away from Sasuke, smoke wafting from their contact, before he sporadically kicked the Uchiha so hard he tore him away and into the corner.

Lee stared at his wrist, glowing bright red and blistering with white welts and steaming skin, his bandages melting and smelling of ash. He exhaled harshly to calm himself, and looked beyond to see a rush of several fireballs speeding towards him. Stepping back his feet stumbled over a pothole he created at the start. He fell, unable to escape all the flames completely before they hit; one by his leg, by his arm, by his shoulder, by his waist, then the last skimmed over his face, the heat burning him lightly as he just barely evaded it.

His body screamed from all sides when he landed, and so hard he tried not to shout, biting his lip and letting blood leak, before he snapped his eyes open and felt the first gate unlock. Air pulsed around his body, tossing and spraying dirt and residual flames. Slowly he stood, his eyes, heavy with growing irritation, setting solely on Sasuke Uchiha.

As much as the Uchiha clan was known for its talented ninja, Sasuke had no idea what hit him.

* * *

><p>Sakura could feel the horror of the situation sink into Naruto beside her, even when Tenten and Gai were screaming along with half of the crowd right next to her. His mouth was open, eyes wide, unable to comprehend that his greatest rival had been taken down by someone who he thought didn't look that strong. Sakura, herself, wasn't quite sure who would have won the match at the beginning.<p>

She had seen Sasuke's development of the past month, and she knew he would have been a challenge in the least – which proved true – but Lee was a different opponent to Gaara, and the circumstances was different. Their battle with Zabuza should have proven that even a similar event could go differently for whatever reason. Maybe in a different field, Sasuke would have had a better chance of winning.

"I can't believe it," Naruto murmured. "He lost." He turned to Sakura. "I really thought he had the chance."

"One of the things about the Chuunin Exam, Naruto, is that the participants are judged by what they show rather than what they win. Sasuke didn't have to make it through to the next round to be still considered for the rank of Chuunin."

"That's not the point, Sakura." He shook his head. "He lost. He…He can't lose…"

"Why not?"

"Why are you so calm about this?" he asked. "Why aren't you upset that he lost?"

Sakura wondered. Truly, she had never actually seen him lose a battle. He always managed to evade the end of it by tactically retreating, or her never being there to witness it, or, in the end, dying; dying was never a loss. There had been that first loss against Lee last time, which showed that the Taijutsu user was really the perfect person for him. If Sasuke had stayed, Sakura didn't doubt he'd have a similar respect for Lee as he did Naruto.

"I'm just not," she answered honestly because how did the attack on Konoha start originally if Gaara had not gone crazy battling Sasuke?

Sasuke, unconscious, was being taken inside on a stretcher, with a severely burned Lee behind him. The crowd – most of it undoubtedly disappointed the Uchiha had not won – began to settle as the proctors returned to the field briefly to announce the next match.

However, at that moment, Sakura heard two shinobi behind her say something that completely silenced Ino's and Temari's names.

"It's a good thing Lady Tsunade's returned to heal them."

"Ha! No kidding! The Uchi—"

"Hey, Sakura! Where are you going?" she heard Naruto scream as she shot up from her seat and left the row in seconds, racing up the flight of steps to the back where an ANBU was posted for security.

She ignored the humming of the crowd as the next two contestants walked onto the field, making for the door at the end; the door at the end that Kakashi stepped in front of her and had to forcibly stop her from going through.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"How long have you known Tsunade's been here?" she snapped, glad that what she said could not be heard over the din as the battle began. Half of her wished she was able to watch Ino fight.

Kakashi blinked in surprise. "She's in Konoha?"

"How could you have not known? Surely one of the other jounin, or Kotetsu and Izumo, or even the Hokage, would have mentioned it!"

"Sakura, never accuse the Hokage with that tone," Kakashi berated. "And for the past month, had you actually ever seen me enter Konoha? Sasuke and I trained outside of Konoha for the entire time, returning to the training grounds only to train with you and Naruto when we could. The night Sasuke was with you two I was meeting someone, so I never heard about her return. Sakura. I promise."

Seeing the sincerity in his eye, she tried hard to calm herself down but still felt anger rise up within her body. Around her the crowd made noises that told her whether something was a close call, and she could hear the booming of Temari's wind.

"Did the Hokage even realise that if both Sannin – because I eventually remembered that Jiraiya trained Naruto at this point – are in Konoha, then _he_ will not even attack in the first place if he knows they're here?" she asked, nearing hysterics.

She could see in his face that he understood.

"Stay here," he ordered. "I will tell the Hokage."

"With _him_ right next to him?" Sakura pressed. "I told you he disguised himself as the Kazekage," she whispered softly.

"Yes, you did."

"What's more, is that Sasuke is out," Sakura said. "He might take this chance to bite him."

"You said that almost killed him the last time. He's badly wounded now, he wouldn't take the risk."

"Just. Please."

Kakashi wavered. "Take Naruto to visit Sasuke. Convince Tenten and Gai to do the same for Lee. They should both be in the same room, if not, neighbouring. I will find a way to deliver your message to the Hokage, or in the least, Jiraiya."

The crowd cheered; a winner was clear.

Sakura frowned. "Jiraiya? But he…" Her eyes widened in understanding. "He knows? He knows—are you crazy?" she shrilled.

Kakashi hushed her instantly, seeing a spectator and a nearby ANBU glancing in their direction. Sakura was glaring at him, lips sealed and tight.

"If he knows then Tsunade knows," she hissed.

Kakashi hung his head. "That's likely."

"_The winner is… Temari!"_

For a moment her heart sagged at the fact Ino lost, but she knew that her tactics would have not worked as well against the Sand-nin in the first place. But the feeling was gone, a speck compared to the irritation of the fact that two of the Sannin knew.

They have influence, perhaps. They were strong, definitely. But it was the principle. Sakura felt better, safer, knowing that only a select number of people knew, and the fact the Hokage had informed them without telling her at all – even after he did it – bugged her.

Call her a child. Call it overreaction. She wished she had been told from the start.

"Sakura. For now, just forget about it. There are more pressing concerns," Kakashi said. "Get those three to come with you, and you should tell Ino too, if she's awake."

It felt like hours until she nodded, but she was quick to go back and convince the three of them to follow her, part of her wondering if she should get Gai to remain just to make sure nothing else happened. He was exuberant to say the least at the offer, but she could tell that he was inwardly worried about Lee. He had won his match, though those burns were severe; she would be a little too, even if burns were easier to heal than broken bones. And for the entire rushed journey to the infirmary, Sakura ignored the confused looks on Naruto and Tenten's face, as they wondered why the pink-haired kunoichi seemed to be in such a hurry.

They slipped into the infirmary foyer, and the first person Sakura saw was Ino resting in a plush chair by the window, bandages taped to her face and bare legs. A quick scan told Sakura that the blonde managed to survive the fight without anything worse than a few bad scrapes.

"Ino," she breathed.

The Yamanaka glanced up at the whisper of her name; Gai and Tenten had left to visit Lee in a adjoining room – the door was open so she and Naruto could hear the Green Beast of Konoha exclaiming how proud he was. Naruto peered at Sakura as she approached the blonde by the window, before he shrugged slightly in dismissal.

"Avoided broken bones?" Sakura asked softly.

Ino nodded, a broken smile on her lips. "Damn that girl is scary. There was no way my techniques could even touch her. As soon as I figured that out, I admit that I… forfeited the match."

"What?" Naruto blurted out. "But—But—" Stopping short he contemplated her for a moment before lifting his shoulders. "That makes… sense, I suppose. Wouldn't be what I would do."

"You are close-combat, Naruto," Sakura pointed out, smiling. "Of course you wouldn't need to think about the battle the sort of way Ino had to - not unless someone forcibly stopped you and shouted it in your face."

He chuckled nervously and scratched his neck. "Yeah, you got me with that."

Ino giggled. "Well, I know you two didn't come down here to see me, so…"

"Here to visit Sasuke," Naruto explained, although on his face it seemed a little obvious he was torn between that and watching the rest of the finals. They were far enough away they could hear the thrumming of the crowd but not the proctor's declarations.

Ino nodded in understanding, a grimace on her face. Sakura swallowed, and turned to Naruto, asking, "Can I please talk to her in private?"

He gave them both suspicious looks before slowly agreeing and slinking away to a medic, and asking how the Uchiha was doing. While he was told to wait for a moment for the medic to finish some vital duties, Sakura faced Ino again and sat down next to her.

"What's wrong?" the blonde whispered.

Sakura hesitated for a second. "I'm not sure he'll attack."

Blue eyes widened. "Why not?" She had partly forfeited her match to save her chakra for other portions of their plan had Orochimaru attacked, so this was news. "What happened?"

"Both of the remaining Sannin are in Konoha," Sakura answered. "He might be too spooked. Have you seen to Sasuke?"

She shook her head, and Sakura noticed just her grimy her blonde hair was; torn, threaded still with dirt and some missed leaves. "No, I haven't. I tried to, but an ANBU medic said he had to see to him."

Sakura froze. "When was that?"

"A minute or so before you showed up," she said.

At that moment Sakura scrambled from her seat as Naruto was about to enter Sasuke's room, his tanned hand on the silver handle. Panic flooded her completely, that she disregarded how crazy she might have looked when she grabbed Naruto's new orange jacket and flung him back. He yelped in surprise but Sakura had already opened the door to the medium-sized room and instantly felt as though lead had filled her.

Sasuke, unconscious in a cot and hooked up to an IV drip, had a figure hovering over his body. It was the ANBU clothing, but Sakura was positive – a hundred percent certain – she knew who this man was, and she took a single step in as he looked over his shoulder. Those familiar eyes shone back at her through the holes in the mask and the rage she always felt when she saw him had spun back into her anew.

"Get away from him," she growled. Her body was shaking. Shaking because Kabuto had almost gotten to Sasuke – or had, and she couldn't see it. She didn't care how feral she may have looked.

"I am here to simply heal him," the ANBU responded calmly.

That voice. It was him.

"Sakura, what's wrong with you?" Naruto asked from under the doorway, blinking at her in confusion. Murmurs were spreading from outside in the foyer, and she could feel the gaze of many on her back, but then something happened.

A loud boom shook the walls and floors, followed by an ear-piercing siren that sliced the air like a scythe. It wailed on and on, and from above she could hear the screaming of the crowd as the attack from Orochimaru had begun.

Though something was not right.

Through the noise that surrounded her, as the medic's flew into a frenzy and darted for any communicators to find out what was going on, Sakura was focused solely on the ANBU. And he seemed to know that she wasn't going to stand down as he faced her entirely and sighed.

"That wasn't part of the plan," he told her.

"What did you do to Sasuke?" she snapped.

"Nothing," he said. "Yet."

"Sakura! We have to get out of here!" Naruto shouted, grabbing onto her shoulder and pulling her back slightly. Ino cut in rashly then, telling him quickly and loudly – over the siren – that they were going to make sure Sasuke was safe from whatever was going on upstairs and that he should move on. He hesitated but reluctantly nodded and disappeared.

Kabuto reacted then. Several shuriken spun and Sakura shouted Ino's name as the blonde closed the door. The Yamanaka ducked in reflex, and her heart raced after hearing the soft thudding as the metal sunk into the wood just above her head. Kabuto didn't waste a second after that to turn to the window and smash through it, the glass ripping at his beige cloak. He sailed down, and Sakura ran for the window as Ino checked Sasuke.

"Uh, Sakura. I seriously have no idea what I would be looking for if there is something wrong," she spoke in a rush, some words cut out by the siren that was suddenly silenced. Now Sakura could hear the combat raging on above her in the stadium, and see the small figures of other shinobi from around the village zoning in on the battle.

Silently, her blood pumping, she approached Sasuke. He was pale, covered in bandages and sweating like mad; his hair was pasting to his skin. She checked his pulse and it was a little erratic, though she couldn't tell just yet if that was from his new wounds or from something Kabuto would have done.

A soft moan broke through Sasuke's dry lips, and then another just a bit louder. He tensed, and suddenly relaxed, unconscious.

He had slipped into a coma.


	15. Only Human

_As always, thank you guys for still sticking around. :3 I really do appreciate it._

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER FIFTEEN—<br>**_Only Human_

* * *

><p>Hinata had no idea what was going on. One second she had been watching the next battle from the box close to the stadium ground, anxiety present at the sound of the screaming of the crowd and desperation of the battle, the next there was a loud explosion far above and debris was falling, backed by the fearful cries of the crowd. Ninja from all sides bulleted into the sudden battle as she clung to the rail for safety and activated her Byakugan.<p>

Someone was dead, and she gasped when she recognised the clothes of the Kazekage. Confusion swept over her as she saw several of the teachers she knew quickly engage with shinobi coming in at them from all directions, like they had come out of nowhere. After that, everything was in a flurry.

The ground shook more and she detached herself from the rail, spinning around to see Shino gone, Shikamaru pressing himself against the wall and his eyes closed, and Temari and Gaara conversing in the corner; the blonde was doing all the talking, worry deep in her eyes. Her breath was stolen when someone grabbed her shoulder roughly to face them, and dread filled her at the sight of Neji glowering down at her.

"Get to safety," he ordered. "You're no use to us in this battle."

Shaken by his venomous look, Hinata succumbed with a weak nod, and she watched the older Hyuuga head to the railing, Shikamaru meeting him there. Together they went over the edge, to join the battles outside. Alone, she turned back to the Sand siblings to see them gone, and for a moment she was lost.

What was she doing? What did she want to do?

What was she waiting for?

Though fear and insecurity swam in her mind, Hinata inhaled and closed her eyes, searching for Naruto. His safety was more important to her than her own. Her vision travelled like a train from the stadium and its scattering people, and outwards, everything a blur until she captured Gaara and his two siblings running to the centre of the village. Questions swarmed her, but she had no time to ponder when she saw them split, the red-head heading on. Her sight crawled back to her quickly, and just in time she caught Naruto leaping from roof to roof, his blue eyes set ahead on Gaara not far from him.

Blinking rapidly, Hinata exhaled shakily, her body quivering as she wondered what to do. The boy she had feelings for, the friend she had made and kept and nurtured: what was she going to do?

She decided, as she ran for the door, that she'd make the choice when she caught up with them.

* * *

><p>"Shit," Sakura cursed. Fingers grabbed for the IV and inspected it. Growling, she removed the needle from Sasuke's arm and yanked the drip-bag off. "Shit."<p>

"What?" Ino asked, eyes wide in concern.

"Kabuto changed the bag from saline to another chemical I haven't seen before," Sakura said. "It's put Sasuke into a coma."

"What—why? I thought you said Orochimaru would want Sasuke?"

Sakura tucked the bag into a low shelf nearby, making a mental note to examine it later on, and scurried back to check Sasuke's vital. His pupils weren't reacting to the light, and his body was in a near sleep-like state.

"I don't know," she whispered. "Maybe to make him easier to move if he's confined to the hospital afterwards. He said that things weren't going according to plan. I have a feeling that they weren't going to attack after all."

"So what happened above?"

"How the hell should I know?" Sakura snapped. Ino flinched. "I've been down here with you. I have no idea what is going on. Sasuke should be fine for now. I doubt he'd taken much of the chemical, so it wouldn't put him out for too long."

'I hope' hung in the air, unsaid.

"We should get going," Ino suggested, pushing herself from Sasuke's cot and scanning outside through the window. She could see thick smoke already billowing from the stadium above. "We have to catch up to Kabuto."

Sakura nodded in agreement and followed after the blonde, leaping from the shattered window frame to a nearby pole, then to the sloped brown tiles of a house. The medic could still have a vague idea of the direction Kabuto had gone, and they followed this faint trail further from the stadium. At one point they had glanced back to see the full extent of the half-domed building; smoke rose, and she could see the lashing and whipping of wind and dirt.

They eventually reached the training grounds near the Forest of Death; trees, rocks and large patches of nothing but grass. It was still; too still. She couldn't sense him anymore, partly because of the smoke that had begun blowing in the direction from the stadium and shrouded his position from her. She raised a hand and Ino silently plodded in beside her, blue eyes high in the trees circling them.

_Where did he go?_ she asked herself, strengthening her chakra in the immediate vicinity to break through the smoke.

Ino stuck close to her. Sakura could practically feel her anticipation, feel her body graze by her own as they kept back to back, and waited til the scent of smoke had cleared that little bit more. Kabuto had hid himself if he was around, and if he was not, she reached out some to see if she could touch his trail.

_Noth—_

The ground shook and the wind whistled, louder and louder and harder and harder until she heard the snapping of branches and twigs. Ahead she saw a whirlpool of foliage, ripping and tearing into a gust and coming straight for them. She shot to the side seconds before it bellowed through, the debris skimming over her, the noise deafening, and she spun around to Ino crashing into her and sending them against the tree. Sakura gasped, vision blurry, and she focused on the clearing over Ino's head.

Those two Sound nin were there, both looking murderous, both glaring at her, both out for blood.

"You don't have you precious teammates with you anymore," the wild-haired one snarled, clenching his fist then spreading his fingers, exposing the hole in his hand. A vicious smirk wound its way onto his tanned face as he stepped before his teammate. "Just that weak blonde."

"Say that again _after _you get to know me," Ino retorted, rising to her feet with Sakura along side her.

"Be careful, Zaku," the bandaged shinobi warned. The other scoffed. "A backed cat can turn into a tiger."

"Whatever." He shrugged it off then raised his hands, his wicked grin returning. "Ready for the music girls?"

Ino and Sakura split from their spot as a sonic boom smashed the tree behind them, sending splinters flying after them. Echoes filled their ears, throwing their senses as they kept their eyes peeled and slipped through the trees. Sakura felt the adrenaline fill her when she heard Zaku's attacks trying to pin her down, and she scouted for Ino on the other side, hoping to communicate some sort of plan to her. She couldn't see her though.

The tree in front of her exploded and she catapulted back into another, head crunching against the trunk. Stars glittered, and a figure loomed over her, a fist coming down on her. Sakura caught it, grip tight, and pushed the hand away, delivering a punch to Zaku's stomach.

"I don't have time for you," she whispered into his ear, shoving chakra into her fist sudden enough he spun away from her; the bandaged shinobi dodged his body, raised his arm and flicked his metal arm. Waves of noise flooded in her direction, and Sakura mule-kicked the tree behind her, destroying it to avoid that sickening clamour, made a string of signs then punched her fist into the ground.

The Sound shinobi paused, waiting for where she might attack to evade, and Sakura smiled. Zaku frowned in confusion, then yelped in surprise as his teammate took an unprecedented swipe at him.

"Dosu, what the hell are you doing?!" he screamed, ducking then blocking. He grunted at the strength, staring his friend in the eyes, before the strength the other exerted pushed him back. He stumbled, a moment of weakness where the metal-arm of his teammate was thrust by his head. Zaku's eyes widened as he watched two fingers flick the weapon.

The sound that rang burst his ear drums and he screamed, grabbing his ears as they bled. His mind was scrambled as he scuffled back, wondering what was going on. Zaku bumped into a nearby tree and leaned against it, writhing, eyes watering as he glared at Dosu and the pink-haired kunoichi standing side by side.

"What?" he asked. Sakura approached him, and without another word, punched him across the face. Zaku slumped against the tree, unconscious.

"Good work, Ino," the medic complimented, a tired smile on her lips.

It was strange to see the bandaged man nod at her so cordially, a sigh leaving his lips as Ino let herself relax.

"Yes, good work. Both of you."

Simultaneously they turned around, and Sakura felt as though her heart had stopped. Kabuto stood not ten feet from them, still dressed in the calm brown cloak of the ANBU, the mask on his back. He smiled wickedly at them. In his arms was Ino's limp body, leaning against his frame with his hands wrapped almost like a hug around her. His jaw was pressed against her temple, her head resting back on his shoulders. She heard Ino in Dosu's body release a shaky breath.

Neither of them had the chance to react before his hands moved up and grabbed her head, snapping her neck.

If Sakura thought her heart had stopped just a moment ago, she was wrong. She felt dead. She felt lifeless as every single feeling, every single thought and motivation drained out of her completely, leaving her hollow. She watched as he released Ino's body and it fell to the earth, her blonde hair sailing brilliantly. When she hit the ground, everything was muted.

Everything.

It was like her entire body was suspended in some other plain of existence, floating and falling at the same time. The blue of Ino's eyes, she imagined looking at her, seemed to drown Sakura in a crushing and roaring ocean that beat the air from her lungs. The stillness of her body sent lashes of crawls up her arms, like wave upon wave of marching ants. Her ears were filled with nothing and everything at once; sounds muffled and garbled, backed by a low ringing that buzzed around the beat of her heart like a fly.

Then Sakura was back.

Noise was loud and booming, the scent of the earth and sweat oddly strong. Her skin still tingled from those crawling ants, and it was as though her body was set on auto-aim. Her green eyes zeroed in on Kabuto, and a surge of fury flooded her like energy streaming towards the source.

She exploded.

* * *

><p>There were only few enemy shinobi – both Sound and Sand – within the stadium itself. They had been heavily outnumbered against the defence the Hokage had set up as a precaution, and even when the battle had begun, there was no sign of an attack from the walls that Sakura had explained. Kakashi was left to believe that Orochimaru had not intended to attack after all. She had been right that he'd change his mind after learning the two Sannin were around, and he waited for news from a chuunin he had sent downstairs to see if Gaara was still in the immediate area. Did they know the plan had been cancelled? Or did Orochimaru intend to bring them down in flames, to frame them?<p>

He ran a hand through his silver hair as he walked by the railing of the Kage balcony, crouching down and turning over the Kazekage's body. He removed the cream coloured face covering and sighed.

This was clearly a decoy. Orochimaru had sent another person in to keep the guise of the Kazekage being alive, while he kept back at a safe distance. Kakashi should have known that something was wrong the moment the decoy seemed nervous by his appearance and request to speak with the Hokage. In a second of panic, he had attacked, and it sparked the battle.

Unless Orochimaru did plan to bring bad news to Sand, he should have chosen a decoy with a stronger mind.

Kakashi stood and turned to the Hokage, who was searching the stadium with eagle eyes. "Jiraiya and Tsunade are attempting to pursue Orochimaru, if he is nearby," Sarutobi said. ANBU and other ninja flashed passed the balcony. "I should have known of the high possibility of this attack not occurring, but I suppose, in my old age, I was waiting on death." He sighed tiredly. "What a fool I am. An old fool."

"You did what you could, Lord Hokage," Kakashi reasoned. "You fortified us, just in case."

The chuunin returned at the moment, his open flak jacket fluttering. "Kakashi Hatake. Scouts on the far side of Konoha have relayed information that Gaara of the Desert is approaching the Hokage mountains. His siblings are on opposing sides."

_Either they don't know and are continuing, or they just don't care,_ Kakashi told himself.

"That's not all. Naruto Uzumaki is in pursuit, and so is Hinata Hyuuga."

"Inform the border patrol to restrain Temari and Kankuro," Kakashi ordered. The chuunin left, and the jounin turned to the Hokage. "If Gaara still intends to follow with the mission, then we may need the Sannin to return to assist in controlling him. Sakura said Naruto was able to subdue him, but in the middle of Konoha… the damage will be severe. We shouldn't let it get that far."

Sarutobi nodded. "Agreed. However, Tsunade and Jiraiya are not within contact. A foolish old man I may be, but if the boy does become the demon, I'm not going to stand back idly as I wait on my past students."

Kakashi bowed his head. "Of course, Lord Hokage. My apologies."

"I will attempt to detain Gaara before it gets out of hand," the Hokage said. "Kakashi, I ask you to organise the ninja here and then follow."

"Of course."

The next blink and Sarutobi was gone. Kakashi shunshin'd below, meeting Gai carrying enemy corpses to the side with the assistance of other shinobi and kunoichi. Medics were spotted everywhere on the broad seats, and on the field, tending to both ninja and civilian alike. An ANBU was attempting to calm down two Feudal Lord's with bandaged heads who were shouting enough for everyone.

"Gai," Kakashi called. The green clad man nodded in recognition. "Find the fastest and search the grounds and outside of Konoha for any sign of life; the enemy, Konoha people, anyone. If there was an ambush here, there may be another still coming."

The black-haired man lowered the body to the ground, against the wall carefully, before zipping away. Kakashi asked a few other shinobi to assist in finding wounded and delivering them to the infirmary; the Hyuuga – with Neji – were already doing this. Uncertain, Kakashi followed them down to the infirmary, passing more people than he thought he would who had been hurt – though most, from what he saw, were minor cuts and scrapes.

"Kakashi!" someone called as soon as he entered, and he spotted Shizune waving him in to a side room. He followed her in, and paused at the door at the sight of Sasuke surrounded by three healers.

"What's happened?" he asked Shizune.

"Coma. Drug induced. One of the medics had seen Sakura enter this room with Ino not long ago, and quickly found an IV bag tossed into the shelves. A quick test and they deduced it was not the IV. It's stored until everything's calmed down for testing. His symptoms are light. He's fine."

Kakashi nodded in relief, eyes moving to the hole in the window_. So the girls pursued Kabuto as part of the plan anyway_, he thought. _I hope they're alright._

"Keep an eye on him," Kakashi said. He had meant for it to be more of a request than an order, but it came out more like a command. For a second Shizune narrowed her eyes at his tone, but understood as she joined the medics. Sighing, touching his temple, Kakashi walked back into the main room. It was crowded, bustling with people moving about and resting wherever they could. They saw the infirmary as sanctuary, a place where the enemy would not attack, and now that he stopped he could see how many were unhurt. Turning to a nearby chuunin, he quietly asked her to encourage some of them to leave to another room; the battle above was won for now.

He had barely finished when he heard a smattering of feet coming down the hallway, and he stepped out to see two ANBU and three jounin keeping hold of a furious but oddly forlorn Baki. His white head cloth was torn and speckled with blood, his eyes darting everywhere as he fought against the hold.

Kakashi held up a hand. "Baki—"

"I'm not going to bow and beg for forgiveness," he growled, but then this vicious countenance faded. "We were lied to. We were framed."

"I've seen the Sand shinobi joining in the battle," Kakashi said. "But where are your students and how are they involved with the plan?"

Baki frowned. "They must still be following the plan," he spoke, more to himself, "even though the wrong signal had been sent."

An ANBU twisted his grip on Baki's shoulder. "What do they intend to do?" he demanded. "Maybe this information will sweeten you and your country's punishment."

Baki hesitated then sighed in resignation. "Gaara was to unleash himself upon Konoha, drawing in your soldiers from all sides to him. Your walls would be near unprotected, and Sound would come through the walls. Your Hokage was to be challenged by… Orochimaru." He grunted in pain as the hands on him clenched in warning. "He was meant to be killed."

A jounin scoffed. "Impossible. Our Lord Hokage would not be so easily defeated to be considered so solely in the plan."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes knowingly. "Unless there was more to it than that."

Baki's eyes flashed with confusion. "If there was more, then we were not told. Please. I know there has to be some of my men out there still, besides my students. Don't kill them. That body – that _person_ disguised as our Kage – is not him. He's not even from Sand."

"I know," Kakashi informed. "Now tell me, is there a way to ensure Gaara does not let go? A safe word?"

Slowly Baki shook his head. "No. No one was meant to survive."

* * *

><p>Gaara stood atop the head of the Third Hokage, sea-green eyes surveying the expanse of Konoha. Trees were spotted amongst the straw and brown coloured buildings, lines spread and linking each house with electricity. The Hokage Tower stood tall nearby to him, and he gazed down to see the steep drop, but he curiously noted the thin walkways along the face that led up to the area he was at now.<p>

Konoha was so different to Suna. So much more green, so much more life, it felt. More peaceful. Odd, that was; to him, at least. The sands of Suna in his mind were lathered in blood, of darkness and nightmares, but here there seemed to be a new beginning, and for a moment he wondered what he was doing.

So sure, he was, that what he was doing was right. He loved himself and himself only. He loved the violence, the blood, the trust he had buried soul deep in himself, because he knew what he could do. He was invincible, and standing atop Konoha, he was sure he should feel he was the king and below were the ants he'd destroy. Not conquer, but destroy.

Yet he hesitated. The demon squirmed within him, but he felt oddly calm.

He blamed the pink-haired kunoichi who had managed to land a punch on him, the green dressed boy their age who saved her, but most of all he blamed the female known as Hinata Hyuuga.

She was like a tick. She stuck to him after that first night. His silence had not deterred her, and at first she sat in silence with him. But she kept coming back, so he threatened her. She was not worth destroying. Her mind was fragile enough; he saw no future joy in such an insignificant bug. She still hadn't left, but she stayed silent for a bit longer.

When she came back he was tempted to kill her, but he couldn't. He had been told she was a Hyuuga and could not be found dead so close to the Finals. She had to live a little bit longer. He had to listen to her talk; talk as if no one else had bothered to listen to her before.

And he found himself listening. The demon would laugh and mock him, would call the girl names so much like the ones Gaara had been once called.

Not once had he looked at her. Not once. Until she called him a friend.

Gaara narrowed his eyes.

A friend?

She had to be lying.

She had to be deceiving him.

The demon cackled as the anger – an ancient emotion compared to his love for killing – emerged, rising up in him like a fire.

"Oi! You!" a disruptive voice hollered. Slowly Gaara turned, his demon grinning widely at the sight of the blond-haired boy pointing a finger at him. His blue eyes were filled with fury. "What the hell are you up to?!"

"Your death," Gaara responded casually.

Naruto blinked, then rolled up the sleeves of his orange jumpsuit – a new one that looked so much brighter than his old. Determination set in. "I'd like to see you try."

Gaara smiled. "Yours and all of Konoha."

Horror filled him. "You're sick," Naruto stated simply. "How could—why would—"

"Because I can. Because I have the power. Because I want to."

"You… You want to destroy all these people? All their lives? But—but… how could you?" He exhaled. "You're a murderer."

"So are you—shinobi."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "No." He shook his head, tears peaking. "No, not everyone is like you. I'm not like you. You're sick and twisted."

"I've reached realisation. A power," Gaara responded. "It's much stronger than the pathetic love this village shows to each other."

Something clicked in Naruto's mind. He didn't know how or why or what made him even think of it, but it just made sense. "Hate," he whispered.

Gaara frowned.

"You were abused," Naruto said louder. "Don't deny it. I can see it in you. You were feared, weren't you? You were hated. By who? Your village?" Breathless, he continued, gesturing to himself. "Me too. I was too."

"Were you?" Gaara asked doubtfully. "You're stalling."

"Don't do this!" Naruto pleaded. "I know exactly how you feel. I was surrounded by people who hated me and spat on me and shunned me. I was alone. And until recently, I had no idea why." He swallowed before admitting, "I have a demon."

A cold chill threaded Gaara at those words. His eyes widened.

_**He lies,**_ the demon whispered. _**He's lying to you, just like the others.**_

He saw his cheeks, marked with three lines on each. _He has those, though._

_**Irrelevant. **_

"I have the nine-tailed fox," Naruto said, voice wavering.

The demon suddenly chuckled. _**Kyuubi, huh?**_ He laughed. _**Change of plans, boy. Let me meet my brother!**_

Gaara felt his control be tugged violently, then again, hard enough he flinched.

_**Let me out, brat! Let's play. I want to play.**_

Gingerly Gaara raised a hand to his head, fingers taking his hair in a split-second soothing motion. Over and over his demon toyed at his insides, poking at his anger, prodding his hate, twisting his love for himself, then igniting the pleasure of blood and pain and ruling.

Gaara grunted, falling to a knee, a cruel smile worming its way onto his lips as an unnatural laugh broke through. He didn't know where he went. All he felt was the longing for the stickiness of blood to coat his fingers, and then he rose higher and higher in power, losing himself within it. He towered, became the monster he knew he was.

"Kyuubi! Come meet me!" a distorted voice filled his ears, and Gaara realised it was his own.

Irritation filled him. He had wanted to battle the pink-haired kunoichi, the Uchiha, maybe, and the green-wearing taijutsu user. This blond boy was of no concern to him. This blonde boy who looked up at him in dawning fear.

Yes. That fear was beautiful.

The boy resisted his demon's call for his brother, and he felt his demon grow angry and impatient. Gaara let himself drown in the power, watched as he smashed at the blonde, trying to flatten him to force the Kyuubi out, but the shinobi had a knack for escaping his giant hands as they came for him. He dodged and replicated. He kicked and punched, and Gaara was sure he could feel it on himself, but he was so lost he didn't know.

The earth beneath him shifted, and Gaara stirred, sensing it in his sleep-like state. Then suddenly everything moved and he felt himself falling and land with a quick jolt. He could feel joy hit his demon at being the same height view of the boy, but that joy was short-lived. In fact, there was little Gaara could remember after that.

* * *

><p>The earth felt flimsy beneath her feet as Sakura took one step, then another, until she strode eerily calmly by Ino's corpse towards Kabuto. He remained still, grey eyes trained on her, and suddenly she darted towards him, eyes up close and she swore she saw a flash of surprise or fear cross his face before he narrowly dodged her attack. Her fist sailed past him and hit the earth, cracking it, tossing the earth into the air so high it rained down over the trees.<p>

"Sakura!" Ino yelled in Dosu's voice, but her name was deaf to her ears as she lurched for the medic again and again, leaving in her wake large potholes that had the trees tipping into them, uprooting. The fact that the earth shivered beneath her from further into Konoha was lost to her.

Fire coursed through her veins, her vision oddly red, and each punch grew stronger and stronger, the holes bigger and bigger. Birds flew, and after a minute she realised, vaguely, that salty tears were trailing down her stern face, down her cheeks. She couldn't stop. She couldn't let this man slip through her fingers, because she knew exactly what she would go back to face. She knew exactly what she would see, and what would happen, and how she would feel, and she knew she wouldn't be able to take it.

"Is this the rage of a Konoha kunoichi?" Kabuto taunted.

Sakura didn't understand how he was able to evade her attacks. They came with strength, but were they really that predictable to dodge? Did her anger throw off her accuracy?

"Or just a temper tantrum?"

She slammed her hands together and formed some handsigns, slapping them against the ground and spreading them in a circle around her body. The earth around Kabuto jumped and bulged, erratic, like it had a mind of its own. He dodged, tip-toeing, til he slammed into a wall and repelled off of it before it closed over him. His cloak was torn from his body by a lap of soil and he tossed a chakra coated senbon in Sakura's direction desperately as his foot was caught.

She tried to dodge it, stepping back, but it sunk into her skin with ease. Sakura gasped, grabbing at it and was about to pull it out until she felt something latch onto her flesh. It stung and burned and she fought the urge to let out a cry of surprise at the stabbing pain. By the time she opened her eyes again, fought through the pain, Kabuto was gone.

Sakura stayed on the ground, breathing harshly as her body swarmed with emotions, of tire. Tears fell freely, but she didn't understand that she was upset yet. She was angry and brimming with a fire that now she was too tired to release.

Footsteps behind her were soft, but loud enough for her to look over her shoulder and see Dosu by the trees. His single visible eye conveyed defeat, a sadness that Sakura couldn't quite feel. Ino stumbled closer and then dropped to her knees before the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Please listen to me, Sakura," Ino said to her. It sounded weird, so wrong, to hear Dosu's voice instead. She saw Ino wondering if she should even touch her, hug her, maybe, but decided against it. "I don't have much time."

Realisation pinged in Sakura's mind and her body had a flood of peace before her chest heaved and she released a grating cry of pain, of misery. The tears swallowed her, and she keeled over, letting her hand gripping her shoulder fall limply.

"Sakura." Ino's breath hitched. "Hear me, please. I want you to tell my parents that I love them, with all my heart. I want you to hug them, you hear? Hug them tight and tell them that. I want you to do the same for my sensei, for Chouji, for Shikamaru. I want you to say that we made an awesome team, and that they weren't as bad as I thought."

She was barely taking this in.

"I want you to apologise to Sasuke for me, and to Naruto. And thank Kakashi-sensei."

Ino's voice broke, and she inhaled sharply. She could feel the jutsu lifting, feel the edges of her mind fraying, dissolving. Desperately she attempted to gather whatever thoughts she still had to say before it was gone, before Dosu was able to take control again.

This wasn't how either of them wanted it to happen.

"And I'm sorry to you, Sakura."

"Why are you saying that to me?" the medic demanded, her voice wrangled with grief as she lifted her red-rimmed eyes to her disappearing friend. Dosu's eyes it may be, but she could see Ino through them. "What have you to apologise for? I brought you into this! I brought you to this death! It's all my fault!"

"You're only human," she whispered in response. "And we all make mistakes."

Sakura didn't seem to hear her as she cried harder. "I'm so sorry, Ino. This wasn't meant to happen."

She had hoped for forgiveness, that Ino would say that it was not her fault even if she thought it was. Words could do so much in the long run, even if it felt like it mattered so little in the present. But Sakura was met with a deafening silence that seemed to drag on forever.

Then she heard a whispered, "Goodbye."

When Sakura looked up, she saw Ino leave those eyes.


	16. Aftermath

_Woah, 61 reviews? O.O Really? _Really?_ I'm stunned guys. I really don't know what to say, especially since this chapter feels less than good. I might need a Beta Reader sometime, I think, because I keep confusing myself and need another to re-read. :(_

_Also, I am up to date with the manga – sort of – and have learned of a few big spoilery things (such as deaths, etc) but I can't add them in without breaking continuity, so I apologise for that! I'm entertaining the idea of editing through all of this at the end and fixing it up with what's happened in the manga but haven't decided._

_Good news though, is that I've written the draft of the next few chapters, and so there shouldn't be such a big gap between the following ones. _

_Wish I didn't kill Ino, you guys! Am missing her already. _

_Anyway, enjoy!_

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><p>—<strong>CHAPTER SIXTEEN—<br>**_Aftermath_

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><p>"Kakashi-sensei?"<p>

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Sakura will be alright, won't she?"

"I honestly don't know."

"But… we're her teammates. Shouldn't we know? I mean, Iruka-sensei told me that we should appreciate and understand a person's time and space when they're upset, but I don't like seeing her like this. It sucks."

Kakashi chuckled, ruffling the blond's locks. "Then why don't you go cheer her up?"

For a moment the genin contemplated it, casting his gaze to the pink-haired kunoichi sitting by the stream wit her legs crossed and hands together as though she were meditating. More than once Naruto had thought of shoving her into the river in hopes that maybe she'd revert back to her old self and pull him in after, but he wasn't sure if it was the right thing. Perhaps acting like everything was 'normal' may help her integrate back into how things were before, but it may also have the opposite effect and Naruto didn't want to risk it.

In the past two days after the attack on Konoha – after both he and the Hokage returned Gaara back to his normal self, after a shaky word-spread understanding of the situation with Sand, after the village started to gain back their footing due to the suddenness of everything and the few deaths that had happened – Sakura had been recluse, always in a state of deep thought. Naruto had once joked too early on that Sasuke and her must have switched bodies, but with an overly venomous glare from her he had watched what he said later. For too long the Uzumaki had dealt with hard situations by laughing through it or discounting its worth so that he could overcome it. The mental-frame for events could affect the outcome; this, Naruto had learned years ago and had even perfected, almost.

Yet he hadn't actually gotten to know anybody only to lose them. In that light, he didn't really know fully what it felt to lose that person. He knew Ino; knew her as the girl who had bad mouthed him and bullied him from time to time, knew her for her skills as a kunoichi; but it was all different to how Sakura knew her.

It didn't help that Naruto felt more out of the loop than before. Kakashi-sensei had clearly admitted that he lost everyone he ever cared about, Sasuke was without a family he still had memories of, and Sakura had lost Ino, so Naruto couldn't help but wonder what he was missing to understand.

By the time he focused back on his surroundings from his thoughts he was sitting by Sakura, sandalled feet brushing the surface of the stream. His heart pounded as he looked to the kunoichi beside him, and he let himself stare.

Her skin was about as tanned as his, her hair pulled mainly back into a low ponytail, though locks fell all over her face. Whenever the wind blew she'd twitch her nose in discomfort at the hair that tickled her, and he noticed then that she had a slight button nose and an overbite. He never saw those smaller things before, but somehow realising them made him see her as more human, as a girl who was not perfect with alabaster skin like he might've imagined once. And her forehead was certainly not as big as he remembered her claiming.

"Why are you smiling?" Her tired voice poked his thoughts.

Naruto's amused grin dropped instantly when he met her green eyes. Iruka-sensei told him the eyes were the windows to the soul, but clearly Sakura had the blinds drawn.

"I'm looking," he answered honestly.

"What do you see?"

The question caught him off guard and he swallowed unsurely before chuckling. "Uh… how do I answer that?"

Sakura looked away, back to the quiet stream, her fingers threaded with each other.

"You look like Sakura?" Naruto tried.

"'I look like Sakura'. Does that mean I am not her?"

Naruto scrunched up his face. "No. Who else would you be if you weren't Sakura?" She didn't answer. "What was that about?"

"I'm very different," she responded, surprising him. "From the girl I was before graduation."

"Yeah, well, everyone is. I mean, look at me! I can give Sasuke a run for his money now! And Sasuke, have you noticed that he actually talks to me? As in, full sentences? Without insulting me? Seriously, Sakura; he is human after all! Which reminds me, he's getting out of the hospital tonight, isn't he? Woke up this morning. Good thing he didn't get much of that stuff. The nurses said that if he had been exposed to more of it, he'd be out longer. Though apparently he's still limping from his fight with Lee." He sniggered to himself.

"So… if I didn't talk I'm not human?" Sakura pressed on.

Naruto sagged, dipping his toes into the water. He chuckled and turned to his teammate incredulously, but he saw the question again in her eyes. She just needed an answer. "No. It's not that."

"Then why did you say Sasuke was inhuman?"

"It was a joke, Sakura."

"But something had to feed that illusion. What was it?"

Her voice was earnest, and after a moment's pause Naruto abandoned his confusion and curiosity for her behaviour and just decided to answer her, no matter the ridiculousness of the question.

"I saw Sasuke as inhuman because… because… honestly he just gave me the creeps. I mean, anybody who gives off an aura like that is just plain freaky! And it's what we want, I suppose. His motives—well, you heard him the first time we met Kakashi. He wanted to grow stronger to kill someone. I just don't think someone should become a shinobi just to gain power to kill one person, especially since it's for revenge. That sort of goal can really mess with someone—not that I would know, but that's what I think; which is also why I don't hate anybody in this village, despite how they've all treated me in the past, and sometimes still do now."

He took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "Man, it felt good saying all that!"

She nodded. "I have another question, Naruto."

He grinned. "Go for it."

Sakura's lips quivered as she fought to shape the words. "If you could see the future, and know everything bad that is going to happen, what would you do?"

"What do you mean 'what would I do?' I'd try to stop everything bad, of course."

"But what if everything you do to make things right, makes other things that you saw was good at first, suddenly bad?" Her entire sentence was spoken in a rush, words running together as she hurried to get them out before she forgot them.

He blinked and recoiled. "Woah! It's gonna take me who knows how long to even get what you mean by that! Why can't you think simply about things? I mean, sure, it has its bad sides, but if thinking too much about something makes you too upset and worried then just decide something and go with it!" Naruto grabbed his head, groaning. "I feel a headache coming on. Yuuuup! There it is!"

"Sorry," Sakura murmured; she sounded distracted. "I just needed to talk." She smiled at him; the type of smile that made Naruto's heart skip a beat because it was genuine and because it was him that was able to get her smile after these few days. It was that type of smile he loved seeing, and hoped he could keep on seeing.

"Well, whaddaya know?" He laughed. "Going up to someone upset can make them feel better after all. Take that!"

"Yes, Naruto, you're very brave to come up to me," Sakura teased, her smile widening despite how torn she still looked. "Not even Kakashi-sensei would approach me."

"No problem! My middle name is 'Brave'!"

She giggled. "Right. And mine is 'Ramen'."

"Dammit! Why didn't I think of that?" Naruto shouted dramatically, kicking his legs up and spraying water across the stream. It felt good to hear her laughing again, even if Ino's funeral was still to come and they all had to meet with her clan officially; the first few days was hard for both them and herself, and Sakura didn't have the courage to face them until then. Naruto sighed loudly and relaxed. "It's tomorrow, isn't it? Ino's burial?"

"Yeah."

"Would you want me with you?"

"…yes. Please."

"And Kakashi? Sasuke?"

"Actually… shouldn't all the rookies go together?" she suggested, more to herself. "It would bring us all together."

"Well, yeah," Naruto said slowly, frowning. "But that Hyuuga guy? Neji?"

"Right. Forgot."

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><p>Naruto had offered to cook her dinner – his famous instant ramen specialty – but Sakura had declined politely, another thought in mind. When she was ready to leave she had taken a deep breath and felt the tension, the conflict waging within, shudder through her body and disappear, and with a smile she hugged Naruto goodbye. Maybe she had held on for too long, and maybe he'd get the wrong idea, but she needed that hug, now more than ever. At realising the grittiness of this new reality, for some reason Sakura craved the contact all the more, but it wasn't just with Naruto; it was with everyone.<p>

Seldom did she walk through the streets of Konoha and immerse herself in the atmosphere of a fading day, where the citizens were closing up shop and labourers were completing tasks of construction. Her eyes drifted to the Hokage mountain, where only the first two Hokage faces remained, and a portion of the third. The buildings below and surrounding had been crushed with minimal casualties, but as an act of good faith – and perhaps fear of the Leaf – the remaining Sand ninja had offered to restore some of the structures and move the boulders around. Suspicions were high and trust was thin, but Baki had made necessary promises to ensure that an alliance between the villages was still a possibility for the near future.

Temari and Kankuro were amongst the labourers, but Gaara, however, was someone the Hokage did not want to have walking around. Many of the Leaf people had witnessed him turning to his demon and back and were far too frightened of him to even let him outdoors. Unfortunately, Sakura had noticed that more people – the ones that knew at least – watched Naruto with hawk eyes, except it was the kids and a number of teenagers that now saw him as a budding hero. They didn't know of his demon; all they had seen was him fighting off Gaara and aiding in restraining him, and for that, some were looking at him with new eyes. She wondered if he even realised it.

For this walk she let herself forget about her worries for the future, and instead enjoy what she had again around her. She had been given a new life, and she was going to grab it and take it and milk it for what it was worth. Because life was priceless. And she felt stupid she hadn't done this from the start.

She stopped by a restaurant, the lights open and the chatter loud from within. The smell of cooking meat and strong, spicy sauces filled her nose but it was Shikamaru and Chouji eating quietly together by the window that called her in. Shikamaru was the first to look up, his chopsticks in his mouth as he appraised her and swallowed his food.

"I swear you haven't changed you clothes," he commented, pushing about another strip of cooked meat. Chouji glanced up at her in acknowledgement. Sakura hugged herself around the waist, looking down at her black casual wear. Honestly, she hadn't felt like taking the time to decide what to wear, and the black just suited best; it also suited the weather as autumn changed to winter, keeping her warm.

"I haven't," she responded. Shikamaru shuffled over and tilted his head at the seat beside him, and Sakura sat gratefully. Chouji was staring at her, and for a moment she thought she saw his eyes watering before he looked away.

"Ino used to sit where you are now," Shikamaru explained, catching her observation.

"Oh." What else could she say?

"So why are you here?" the Nara asked.

Sakura hesitated. "She wanted me to hug you both and tell you she loved you with all her heart."

Despite the rowdy atmosphere their table was silent until Chouji sobbed into his food, his mouth still full. With difficulty he swallowed and peered up at Sakura, envisioning his ex-teammate properly in that seat; her brightness, her smile, the way she'd scold him for eating too fast he'd choke. She was bossy and tough that Chouji had wondered how or if she exactly saw him as something other than just a teammate she was stuck with. The answer was something more than he had hoped.

Shikamaru huffed into his hand and looked out the window. The sun was nearly gone, the lights outside illuminating the streets still filled with people as they enjoyed the calming evening and gentle wind. "To be honest it hasn't fully sunken in for me," he said. "I'm still expecting her to walk through the door, late as ever, saying something about applying her make-up. And then Asuma-sensei would arrive afterwards if he was free from his duties. Everything still feels like it should be the way it was."

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><p>Hinata was the one who answered the ring at the Hyuuga main gate, and she instantly started pulling at the drawstrings of her lavender hoodie the moment she saw Sakura. She emanated sympathy, and without a word opened the gate to let in the budding medic. Sakura looked around the main courtyard, noting that it looked different to what it would be in several years time.<p>

It was vast, with forest trees lining a foot-worn path leading straight down to the manor. Two benches were along the side, however, and when they silently walked by she saw another worn path leading into the forest and guessed it led to the training area around the back – although the design layout may have been different.

The closer they got to the manor Sakura sniffed a distinct smell. "Why are you burning incense?"

"Of all the deaths from the recent attacks," Hinata began, voice soft, "Ino was the only one from a clan. The Hyuuga are honouring her death and her clan until the time she is cremated, and until my father can pay his respects personally."

Sakura blinked in surprise. "I… didn't realise the Hyuuga clan did this."

Hinata shrugged. "Well, not many people come visit us, unless on business. The Hyuuga—I mean, we may seem, um, snobby, I suppose, but father respects the other clans of Konoha; their position, their people and their role as ninja in Konoha."

"Wow," Sakura whispered, stepping up onto the veranda. She was only eighteen years old when she actually got to enter the Hyuuga compound, and it was only the outside then to find Neji for a medical check-up which he refused to go to the hospital for. She had seen other Hyuuga about, on their duties, and walking about Konoha as well, but the only ones she actually spoke to was Neji, Hinata, Hanabi, a few of their cousins and any that got wounded while on a mission and she treated them.

It was almost like walking into a whole new world now.

"Would you… like to come inside, Sakura?" Hinata asked. She slid the front door open and waited expectantly.

"Actually, I was wondering if you would like to help me find Tenten, and we go have tea together," Sakura suggested. "Just us girls."

Hinata stared wide-eyed, and Sakura, though was certain the Hyuuga would accept, was for a moment worried she wouldn't. Eventually Hinata closed the door and played with her fingers, whispering, "like... a girl's night out?"

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, something like that."

The Hyuuga shrunk a little. "I've never been out with other girls my age—a-at least, outside of my clan, I mean."

"It's fun. Maybe we could talk a little about _boys_," she teased. Hinata blushed.

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><p>Sakura didn't really know how she had befriended Tenten last time, so it was a little awkward approaching her while she trained with Neji. She was likely to reject their offer to continue training, because she never turned down the opportunity to spar with her teammate who she respected dearly in all aspects, so when her answer was a – slow – yes, Sakura admitted she was surprised out loud, earning a scoff from the brunette.<p>

Heading out for a small café after that, perhaps it was a bit cruel doing something like this so close to Ino's death, but Sakura knew that Ino wouldn't mind, and would have encouraged it if she was still here. She didn't need to die to bring all these people together, but it certainly brought them closer much sooner than later; her death was regretful but it wasn't a waste. And Sakura may have believed this even more when she finally was making her way home and met Sasuke. Seeing him there on the corner of an alley, out of hospital, so much more open and carefree and alive than she had ever seen him before, was beautiful; it opened her eyes. She was glad Kabuto hadn't won him over in whatever way he had intended.

Sasuke approached her casually – though limping slightly, as Naruto had mentioned – a hand in his pocket with a familiar orange book in his hand that he lifted and showed her, holding it out to her. "Kakashi asked me a favour, to hand that to you."

"Oh, really?" Sakura murmured uncertainly, taking the book and staring at the brightly coloured cover. She flipped through it quickly and found a note wedged between the used pages. She closed the book and looked up at Sasuke. He glanced between the two and rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to know, am I?" he drawled.

"Nope."

"Hm. Thought so."

"Had fun playing courier?" she poked, smiling mischievously.

Sasuke scowled. "I was pulled into that only because he found out I was coming to see you."

"See me?" she repeated, stone-faced.

"To talk."

"To… talk?"

"Hard of hearing?"

Sakura snapped her jaw closed and huffed quietly. "What did you want to say?"

Instead of words he looked her up and down in a way that almost made her want to cover herself, and she crossed her arms defensively, until his eyes focused on her face and she looked pointedly away.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she stated.

"You look alright."

"Excuse me?"

"That came out wrong," he whispered in a rush but not tearing his gaze from her. "I mean you're not crying. Or a wreck. Like how most girls are when they're upset about something."

"_And _boys," she retorted. "Unless they're trying to act tough."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I was concerned, Sakura. Ino had meant more to you than any of us realised, so I expected—"

"I'm fine," she cut off, then rolled her eyes. "Well, no, I'm not. I feel like crap, and—" Again, her eyes burned and her throat clenched, but she pushed it away. "The last thing Ino would want is for all of us to mourn her." She laughed quietly. "Actually, she'd enjoy all the attention she's receiving first,_ then_ tell us to go about our lives."

"Sounds like you knew her quite well."

"I thought I did. I know her better now."

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

Sasuke shrugged. "The shinobi she possessed is still in our cells," he said. "But more than that, the man who killed her is still out there."

For a second she didn't know what to say, and instead tried to read his mind. "Are you asking me if I want revenge on him?"

"I suppose."

"I'd want nothing more than to see Kabuto dead," she announced, gritting her teeth. An expression started to morph on Sasuke's face but Sakura refused to let it form, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "But I don't want to be the one to do it."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"Well, for starters, her family, even her teammates, might be better suited, but most importantly, we're ninja, Sasuke. We kill a lot of people, and if all the people of everyone we killed swore revenge, then we'd no longer be defenders of our home but murderers and moral-less mercenaries – and no one would be alive! I just—I really want to, Sasuke. I want to kill him. What he's done hurts me more deeply than you could ever know. But I'm not going to lose myself to that darkness."

Some part of her wondered if she was just saying it all.

Now Sasuke fixed her with a glare. "I couldn't understand? You think I don't have an idea of what you're going through?" he asked. "I've told you my past, Sakura. Not all of it, but enough of it. I know exactly how it feels to lose someone, maybe more; I lost _my entire family_."

"Stop thinking you have all the facts!" she shouted. "Stop thinking you've had it the worst! We're ninja! We can lose anything and everything, and that's something we have to accept; that's something we should have all understood the moment we graduated! We can either let the pain of what's happened in the past control us, or we can learn from it! Get _that_ through your thick Uchiha skull before you lose more than just family, Sasuke!"

Infuriated, the kunoichi stormed past him, anger flaring to its highest when she was stopped by his grip on her wrist. Sakura grabbed at his hand tried to pry off his fingers, and ended up having to use her chakra to make him let go. But before she could slip away he grabbed her chakra-filled hand and let go of her other, fisting the collar of her casuals and pushing her up against the wall.

Sakura gasped in shock the moment she hit the cold, hard wall, and a shiver of fear fell down her body at his red glare. Why would he dare activating his Sharingan against her? It was a verbal argument, and not a physical act of war, so why go on the offensive? She didn't have a moment to calm down before he threw some words at her that she realised too late had given him an answer he had actively sought.

"My brother was the one who slaughtered my family."

Seconds past and she couldn't breathe. Caught off guard by his sudden actions Sakura didn't have any time to even fake surprise when he told her that, and if it was genuine she would have acted differently than just staring in shock. He had her.

His eyes narrowed, and he leaned closer to her.

"You knew," he growled. "_No one_ in my age group would know about that. No one below the age of sixteen should even know. So how. Did. You?" She made a noise and he tightened his grip. "Don't lie to me. I know you're hiding something."

Saying Kakashi's name was a temptation, but she did not want to convict him. That would only shake Sasuke's suddenly brittle trust even more.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," she begged. "I'm sorry. I read it. I read it."

It wasn't a lie. She did read it, on a report she was given before the war had even begun because Kakashi and Naruto felt it was best that she know – Sai already did, as did Yamato – but they couldn't say it without others overhearing. The fact that Itachi was _ordered_ was something she learned from Sasuke himself when, near the end of everything, he asked how she could stand living in a village of people with too much dark red on their hands.

"How did you—how could you—" He shoved her hard against the wall as he let go and stepped back. "I thought your stalking days were over, Sakura. What's more, everything you said just before was _for me_, wasn't it? You think I cling to the past? You think I don't learn from it? _I don't want to be my brother_. I'm _not_ going to run away like he did."

Whatever else he said after that, and every sentence before, mattered little to Sakura as soon as he said those words.

"You promise?" she asked suddenly, realising then that she actually cut him off. She didn't feel sorry at all. "You promise you won't run?"

"A true Uchiha wouldn't," he said harshly, clenching his fists. "Is that why you read my records? Because you were worried I would leave the village?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "Yes."

Sasuke straightened and tucked his hands into the pockets of his long pants, his stoic face back on. "Well, you're wrong. Go back to the stronger Sakura who focuses on her training, and_ never_ tell Naruto what happened." He turned his back to her. "Better yet, forget you ever found out. It'll help you sleep at night."

He didn't move.

"You're lucky that you don't have to take revenge," he said at last.

"You can be lucky too," Sakura whispered.

"No. I'm not like you. Or Naruto. It's something that I know I'll have to do by myself. Someday. Eventually." He wavered, then left without a goodbye.

Sakura leaned against the wall, arms around herself as she processed what had happened. She could already feel some bruising forming on her wrist and her shoulders where he had shoved her, and she took that quiet minute to sooth her muscles. After that, though, when she began her way home, she knew she really had no idea what could happen next, and it was almost a relief.

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><p>The funerals were quick and short. Only the people directly related to the deceased, or friends with, had attended, including the Hokage for most of it, so it was all much smaller. Sakura had come to terms with Ino's death, partly because she had trained herself for such occasions when all she saw was her friends dying around her and under her hands in her past life. Some might have said she got over it too quickly, and maybe she did, especially for a thirteen year old, but to her she had spent her tears and her time regaling this loss – and every other one before it – and now it was just time to live.<p>

Last night's conversation had obviously stayed in Sasuke's mind, as the moment she saw him when Naruto escorted her to the funeral, he couldn't meet her gaze, and if he did, it was a biting glare. Having been submerged by her relief of his words, the fact that she may have wounded his trust in her hadn't hit her until she met him that morning. There was little she could do then, however, because as soon as she had paid her personal respects to the weeping Yamanaka's and relayed Ino's final words, she received a message asking her to head to the Hokage tower immediately.

The entire walk up there she was aggravated that he'd want to speak her now, of all times, before she remembered a certain person she learned was in Konoha; Tsunade. After that, she took her time walking up the stairs. She knew they'd all want to know more, but Sakura wasn't sure if she should talk now. Maybe it'd be safer if none of them knew as to not worry.

Sakura opened the door after a quick knock and headed in. The windows were filled showing the dark clouds outside and the cracked Hokage's mountain and Council chambers in the distance. The Third Hokage was behind his desk, Jiraiya lounging in a padded, velvet chair with his arms crossed, and there was Tsunade, looking out the window at the breaking funerals below.

Sakura bowed. "Hokage," she greeted. Sarutobi tipped his head.

Tsunade turned around at last, and Sakura met her honey-coloured gaze confidently. Jiraiya chuckled.

"I've been looking forward to this," he admitted.

"Have been hearing a fair bit about you, Sakura Haruno," Tsunade began. "They've told me that, in another life, you were my student. So tell me, name one thing I told you about the role of becoming a medic."

"Evasion is of the highest priority," Sakura answered. "If a medic is killed because of their lack of skills, the rest of the team is doomed should they get injured."

Jiraiya tsked. "That was your little test, Tsunade? That's basic knowledge."

Tsunade smiled. "I still find it hard to believe I'd give in and train a kunoichi, but there is a first for everything. If you really have all the knowledge of what I have taught you, of your past experiences of every battle, feelings or thoughts, then you should know, Sakura Haruno, that my expectations of you are high."

Sakura didn't like the sound of that. "I understand."

For some reason the atmosphere was icy. Sakura couldn't explain it at all. Perhaps finally coming to a conclusion and then hearing that had forced her on the defence, or maybe it was because she didn't see this woman as her mentor any longer – for many years now. Or maybe it was because she didn't know how to approach the woman, or where she stood or what she thought about the situation. Whatever the reason, it had Jiraiya looking between the two of them uncertainly.

"Am I sensing an impending catfight?" he asked no one in particular.

"Jiraiya, if you have nothing to add to the situation, then keep it to yourself," Tsunade snapped.

The Sannin shrugged, sinking into his seat. "Hit menopause, I see." He was gifted with a scathing glare.

"Lord Hokage," Sakura cut in. "Am I needed for anything else? I… wish to be with the Yamanaka's now."

The old man nodded. "My apologies for tearing you away. Tsunade will be leaving Konoha for a time, and insisted upon meeting with you."

"I understand. It was a pleasure, Slug-Sannin."

* * *

><p>The door closed, trapping in the tension of the past conversation. Jiraiya unconsciously relaxed, standing up and grabbing his large, red scroll from beside the seat, slinging it back over his shoulders. "That went well."<p>

Tsunade sighed. "That was to be expected."

Sarutobi grabbed his pipe and lit it, puffing it to ready. "What are your thoughts of her?"

She turned to her old teacher. "My thoughts? I think this is a dangerous game."

"Since when was it a game, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked. Gone from his face was his joker smile, replaced with a heavy frown and tired eyes. Absentmindedly he stretched his fingers, working his muscles in various spots on his body; the coming weather was hell on an old man's joints.

"I'm saying I'm impressed she hasn't snapped," the blonde reiterated. "Drilling her for anything more of the future would be the worst to do right now, and not just because a shadow of a dear friend had been killed. Haruno was guarded the moment she opened the door."

"That I had noticed."

Sarutobi nodded in agreement. Rain had begun to spit against the windows, and lightning flashed in the distance amongst the dark clouds. There was a beat of thunder that shook the ground beneath them.

"It seems the death has set Haruno's beliefs in stone. She may be unwilling to reveal anymore of the future, unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, that can either be something we trust her to divulge to us, or we risk this tenuous relationship with her to force it from her. Both could end up bad for all of us."

"Ignorance is truly bliss," Jiraiya said, smiling wryly. "Our problems would be less if we didn't have the next few pages filled out." He chuckled. "Good reason why Sakura Haruno wouldn't want to say more."

"I'll give her that peace," the Hokage agreed. "Much is different this time, worsened by a death. She should enjoy things while she still can, enjoy the new surprises that come her way. She had, however, given us an idea of what is to come in the future. The Akatsuki, you say, Jiraiya?"

The taller man straightened. "Yes. They've been on the move, a little slower after the strange turn of weather from a few months back. What has Haruno told you?"

"Little. Just that Itachi Uchiha had joined them, and that there's an interest with Naruto Uzumaki."

"The runt?" Tsunade questioned.

"Can you still call him a runt after seeing him subdue the Sand shinobi?" Jiraiya countered. "I'll have know, yours truly had a hand in the shaping of his skills. Speaking of which, then Haruno must know about the demon in her teammate, and in the Sand shinobi. She knows what the Akatsuki are after, and quite possibly their final goal." He tensed, frowning. "That sort of information would be useful. Even I don't know that, and I've been tailing them for months."

"If Naruto is a target, then protecting him from their grasp is a given," Tsunade said. "Haruno would have no need in informing us. It's the boy himself that is a cause for concern. He's liable to put himself out there to protect this village."

"Then the Sand shinobi."

Tsunade thought for a moment. "Perhaps, with their current predicament, we could kill two birds with one stone."

"It's definitely something to consider," the Hokage said. "As for what to expect, Sakura Haruno had said Sasuke would leave." He lowered his pipe to concentrate on his papers around him. "He'd be tempted by the prospect of power from Orochimaru when he meets Itachi. However, Sasuke isn't influenced by the Curse Mark now. His betrayal is something none of us can predict, but there is one arrival we are sure to expect."

"Itachi Uchiha," Jiraiya named. "Did she say what happened when he arrived?"

"No. She was vague about the details, saying only that Itachi Uchiha would come to Konoha at some point, and soon."

"I will remain in Konoha for a time longer," Tsunade said. "I don't plan on staying too long, however."

Jiraiya sent her a questioning gaze. "So, you're not going to become the next Hokage."

She gestured to Sarutobi. "He's still alive and kicking."

"On the contrary, Tsunade."

Both former students stiffened, Jiraiya looking a little more curious about the statement. Sarutobi's pipe had dulled and he set it aside, letting a final puff breathe through his lips as he thumbed his goatee. He couldn't deny that he could still be of some comfort to Konoha, especially after the attack which his former student had escaped from according to Tsunade and Jiraiya. She was right that she was still alive, but the 'kicking' side of it was something he couldn't agree with. He was tired. Far too tired, now. He had almost been welcoming the reprieve of death without even realising it. At the hands of his ex-student was a disastrous choice, but he had resigned himself to it, and it made him understand that it was time.

He was done.

"I think I should find my second successor," he eventually said.

Tsunade stayed silent, but Jiraiya's expression softened to genuine understanding. "Not so 'kicking', huh?"

"Is that wise?" Tsunade asked. "Konoha has just been attacked. Changing leaders so quickly could cause doubt or hesitance after something so sudden. These people would need something constant until everything has settled down into how it was before."

"Calm down, Tsunade," Sarutobi intervened. "I'm well aware of the consequences of appointing someone so soon. I still would need time to find someone suitable."

Jiraiya laughed. "You've been knocked off his list," he teased his fellow Sannin. She scowled at him.

"Nonsense, Jiraiya. You are both possible for the position, but I see Tsunade's contempt of the idea."

"To be honest, I'm surprised you were appointed Hokage at all." Jiraiya beamed, stretching out an arm to wrap around her shoulders, but thinking better of it at the last second. If her biting glare was anything to go by, it was the right thing.

"It was your idea," she shot back.

"I admit, one of my lesser greatest ideas."

Sarutobi smiled as a verbal argument broke out between the two Sannin. "Some things never change."


	17. In The Rain

—**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN—**  
><em>In The Rain<em>

* * *

><p>It was torrential by four o'clock, the rain so thick and dark it was like night-time had come around several hours earlier. It came like it was washing the slate clean, aiding the mournful mood. Sakura gripped Kakashi's note in her fist after reading it (<em>Memorial Stone; day after tomorrow; four<em>), and tossed it into a bin by her writing desk. She sighed and buried her face in her hands.

She stood, ignoring how cold it was in her room, and even downstairs when she trekked below. Her father was had gone to the store to ensure that the broken roof was somewhat covered to keep their pottery safe, but her mother was there in the kitchen, cooking up something hot for an early dinner. She smiled brightly at the sight of her daughter and brushed away her growing fringe, kissing her on the head.

"How are you going?" she whispered.

Sakura mumbled incoherently into her mum's shoulder, wrapping her arms around the thin woman. Comfort was what she needed right now, and her parents were giving it in abundance.

"I need to meet someone," the kunoichi eventually said.

Her mother frowned, pursing her thin lips. "In this weather?"

"I'll bring the umbrella, of course."

"Alright," she said slowly. "Just don't get too wet."

"No promises."

Sakura smiled at the older woman, soaking in the sight of her, before turning away from the beautiful scent of hot food and grabbing for a black umbrella by the front door. She slipped on her ninja sandals, stepped out into the misty, cold rain and opened her umbrella. The streets were nearly empty, save for one or two people who had to go elsewhere for their day, or the odd group of kids playing chasey in the rain before they got scolded by their parents.

Amazing that even after the attack, while hesitance rested in the air, everything still seemed the same.

The kunoichi stepped out into the rain, umbrella close to her head, and clopped down the street towards the graveyard. Mud clung to her ankles, and fine mist settled on the cotton of her black clothes. Goosebumps appeared in her skin from the cold, and she was shivering by the time she got to the Memorial Stone.

Kakashi was there without an umbrella, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his funeral clothes. She moved up beside him, raising her shelter to cover him even just a little. Something burned in her throat when she cast her eyes over the etched stone and re-read the name 'Obito Uchiha' over and over again.

A part of her wanted to divulge everything to the man beside her, to tell him that his ex-teammate was still alive and was the mastermind for everything that was happening. She knew she couldn't. She would be stupid to shove such a thing onto him, but she wondered if she should ever tell him before he knew the truth himself. Yes, life was something she wanted to enjoy, but something like that – and of Itachi – was something that tugged at her to just spill.

"You look well," Kakashi noted, interrupting her thoughts.

"I've been better."

"I'm sure you have, but compared to other times, you look well."

"I suppose I should thank you, then."

He shrugged. "If you want." He lifted his head to the sky, closing his eyes and letting the rain hit him. "Some weather, huh?"

"Some weather. Beautiful."

"Why, Sakura. I've never seen you so vocal before," he stated sarcastically.

"I've... got a lot of things on my mind still," she answered honestly. "And what is to come. And trying not to let it ruin me."

"You've come this far, Sakura. I can't imagine what would ruin you now."

"If another person dies..." She bowed her head. "I don't know how well I'll go then."

"We all die."

"Not all of us."

The double-sided meaning was unintentional, but it was what she felt. And after that, Kakashi said nothing. The silence was numbing, and the more Sakura looked at the Uchiha's name, the more temptation was whispering to her to just tell him. She breathed in relief when Kakashi finally spoke again.

"You know, I don't think we've had a spar yet," he stated with a lilt of curiosity and anticipation.

Sakura smiled, teeth bared. "I'm not exactly dressed for a fight."

"Taijutsu, then. I'm a little rusty."

She knew he was lying but the work-out was an idea she couldn't pass up. Her chakra stores had increased with her training, quicker than usual, and while she couldn't rush the shaping of her muscles, there was more she knew than Sasuke and Naruto that she hadn't shown them yet, but Kakashi knew. A battle with at least some of her skills maxed seemed quite pleasant.

Silently the two walked a little ways from the gravestone and Sakura abandoned the umbrella beneath a tree. She was soaked before they had even readied themselves opposite each other. That moment then, however, Kakashi had flashed towards her, fist tunnelling to her stomach. Sakura caught it far too close to her skin and used his weight against him, throwing him over her shoulder.

He skidded against the mud, slipping just slightly. Sakura kicked, he blocked, then a punch. She guided it over her shoulder and delivered a punch to his chest. He exploded into smoke and she spun out of the way as he swiped at her from behind.

Skipping back, Sakura punched the ground and the watery earth splashed at Kakashi, capturing him in a sticky bind. She followed through, fist raised, and then a log was sent hurtling away, smoke billowing around her from the explosion.

Kicking, blocking, punching, the two, student and teacher, continued exchanging blows, strength increasing as things grew heated and they began panting for breath. Sakura knew her body was not quite up to par with Kakashi's at all, and for a moment had felt a flare of anger when she noticed that he was holding back, but he adjusted whenever she fought with new vigour.

The rain had softened the earth to a point that they had to use chakra to keep balanced upon it. Mud flung at every mistake, sticking to their clothes and skin. Finally her lungs had begun to burn and the cold rain stung her cold cheeks. Her pink hair had become loose from its pony tailed, and long locks clung to her shoulders, neck and face like a second skin. Her fringe shielded her sight.

Sakura leaned away from the lock, digging her heel into Kakashi's stomach to push him away. He skidded back, arms raised, but he didn't move, and neither did Sakura. His hair had flopped down slightly over his eyes, and not once had he activated his Sharingan. She felt a glimmer of satisfaction that she had at least gotten him panting.

"I think that's enough," Sakura told him.

He nodded, lowering his hands. "Good work, my cute student."

She smiled as took in a breath, and then laughter poured out of her. She shook her head, hands brushing away her pink hair. "Never change, Kakashi."

"Don't plan on it."

A grin formed on her face, thankful. There might have been a lot of things they needed to tell each other, but where words couldn't be formed, the spar had somehow managed to communicate the exact same thing. And that was something Sakura realised she was more than grateful for when she grabbed her umbrella and closed it up, turning to her former teacher one last time before she left. He tussled her locks playfully, and then before he could protest, Sakura hugged him quickly and went on her way back home.

Minutes later, Kakashi finally left.

* * *

><p>Halfway home Sakura stopped. Although the rain poured buckets, she didn't want to return home. Standing in the rain, looking to the sky with her eyes closed, like Kakashi had done before, was something she revelled in. It cleared her mind, like though it washed away her worries and fears as it ran through her hair.<p>

Eventually her desire to be away from home led her to the Uchiha compound in the complete opposite direction and detached from the rest of Konoha. The front walls were stone grey with the red and white fan sewed onto blue cloth hanging from the arch that was the entrance, and two stripped poles were above them where their flag must have once been. She stared down the street leading further in, shivering more from the emptiness of it all rather than how cold she was.

The traditional buildings were void of life, moss and decay setting in after the years of neglect. Uchiha signs hanging from post to post on some houses were torn, and if she looked a little closer, still stained with blood.

She swallowed uncomfortably, and took that heart-wrenching step into the compound. Her steps were slow as she walked down the main street, identifying several smaller routes on the sides. She saw empty stands and still open houses, one of which had the loose window flapping with the gentle wind.

At the end of the main she looked from right to left. She had never seen Sasuke's old home, and couldn't pick it until she came upon one with a large, light blue blanket beneath the dismal shade of an open red umbrella. She stopped before this building, eyeing the material, noting that it was very old and had been waned to its bare thread.

_Had Sasuke slept here at some point?_ she pondered. _Waiting for his family to come back somehow?_

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

Sakura gasped, twirling around to see the Uchiha stalking towards her with an umbrella. But to her surprise, Neji Hyuuga was further behind at the corner. She turned her attention back to her teammate when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from his house roughly, nearly sending her to her knees in the mud.

Out of distance from both the building and Neji, Sasuke faced her, anger etched into every crevice on his face. "Taking this too far now, Sakura. Back off."

"I didn't come here because of you," she responded. She was talking to him but staring at Neji.

_Why_ was he here?

"Ignore him," Sasuke hissed.

Blinking, she looked up at the Uchiha. "What? So a stranger you allow to see your old home, but not me?"

"_You_ never asked. You invaded my privacy," Sasuke growled. "And he is none of your concern."

She didn't understand. Neji lifted his chin as if appraising the both of them, his lavender eyes glowing amidst the shadows of his umbrella and the darkness of the rain. Swallowing to moisten her parched throat, she wrenched her wrist out of Sasuke's grip and finally matched his fiery gaze.

There were so many things she wished she could say, most – if not all – in anger and unnecessary frustration.

"Calm down," she told him, though it was more for herself. "I'll leave now."

A glimmer of surprise crossed his eyes. She narrowed her own in response. Had he expected a fight? It seemed like he thought her to act differently considering he believed her to be stalking to him again. She could not tell him it was for her own benefit that she saw this place, because he'd type it up to how curiosity for him once more.

She was walking by Neji, and giving him a speculative look which he returned with a scathing one, when he spoke to her. "You're holding an umbrella for a reason." His eyes travelled down her body, noting all the mud specks.

Tonelessly, she responded with, "Flew out of my grasp."

"With what wind?"

"Maybe I'm just a horrible kunoichi," she suggested. Neji wasn't that bad, but then again, she had never interacted with him at this age. He had had a change of heart by the time she had even traded words with him.

"Once upon a time I would have thought that, Haruno," he admitted. She raised an eyebrow. He was honest, and if he was honest, he would also be blunt. "But you remind me of Tenten. You have a determination that can set you apart from the slush that is considered 'talent' these days. If you want that to happen, I suggest investing less time in following your teammate, and more time training."

"My training has what caught your eye, Neji Hyuuga," Sakura said matter-of-factly. "I am not lacking. I am not dismissing. I am embracing my time. Now if you'll excuse me."

One step.

"Your umbrella, Haruno, lest you catch a cold."

She continued on, pulling up her umbrella and glaring at him over her shoulder on her way back to the gate. Sasuke watched her leave too.

* * *

><p>The moment she entered her home she was on the receiving end of a huge hug, and not from either of her parents. Naruto had pulled her in to his chest, crying about her arrival at last, before he repelled away at how wet she was. Her mother appeared out of nowhere and shook her head in exasperation, asking Naruto to get a towel from the linen cupboard under the stairs.<p>

Sakura watched her teammate walk away, blinking in confusion, until she looked to the kitchen table and saw a wet Kiba downing a hot drink, and small Akamaru confined to the tiled kitchen, gulping down some food. The Inuzuka waved a hand in greeting as her father came from back room.

"You look like a wet dog," he mused. Kiba snorted.

"What's going on here?" Sakura asked, ignoring her dad.

Complete shock set in, however, when Tenten came down the stairs, drying her long brown hair with a towel. A grin bloomed the moment she saw Sakura still standing by the open front door.

"Hey, Sakura. What happened to you?" she asked, scrunching up her nose.

"What's going on?" Sakura repeated.

"The two boys and Tenten had helped me with the store," her dad explained. Naruto returned, unfolding a dark blue towel and handing it to the rosette. She took it unconsciously. "The weak roof out back had collapsed when Tenten passed by. After that, she roped these two arguing knuckleheads to help out too."

Slowly this information processed. "So... you're here for dinner?"

"You don't mind, do you, Sakura?" Tenten asked.

Naruto waved a hand. "Of course she won't mind!" Kiba raised an incredulous eyebrow as he took a sip of his hot tea.

"No," she said._ It's_ _just I'm not used to my friends being in my home._

However, by the end of the evening, when she was finally dry and her hair had fluffed from the rain, she was glad her dad had invited them home.

Dinner was vibrant, to say the least. Her parents had used the opportunity to ask her friends tonnes of questions regarding Sakura's training, and Naruto was more than happy to release all information. It melded into conversation about ninja in general, then discussion about clans (something Kiba excitedly talked about) and the revealing of the fate of the Yamanaka clan, something that Sakura knew nothing about considering she didn't come from a bigger family like the Inuzuka.

He explained that although the Yamanaka clan were not part of the four noble clans in Konoha, their weight of influence still required the head to have an heir. Apparently it was very likely that Inoichi could remain as the head despite having no direct descendent. He would have to name an heir himself to take over the clan when he died, however.

Dinner ended with a somewhat sour note, but the notion of dessert brightened things, which led to Naruto exclaiming that he wanted Sakura's mother as his own as he sunk his teeth into some dango. She was flattered, Sakura saw, and clearly cared little for who the boy was, something that Sakura knew they knew.

It was late when all of them left.

* * *

><p>The next five days entailed monotonous work around the village, D-ranked missions, and training. Kakashi had decided it was high time they all practised against genjutsu properly, rather than a mish-mash of everything. He recognised illusion-based techniques as being the weakest points of his team and erected different tasks to test each of them.<p>

He began each scattered lesson with a test of how well they can track his movements with his Sharingan activated, watching only his lower body, stating that even normal genjutsu are commonly cast with eye contact. He even reluctantly invited Gai for his three to see how the taijutsu user worked against him.

Furthermore, Kakashi had gauged where exactly each of his students were in regards to genjutsu, and trained them from there. He knew of Sakura's skill with chakra control, and she, with new interest, agreed to his old comment months ago about pursuing genjutsu as well, something that she had connected with faster than she anticipated considering she had found it a little difficult in conjunction with her medical ninjutsu in her past life. Now everything seemed to suddenly make sense to her, and she kicked herself for ever thinking that she couldn't handle it this time 'round. Slowly she had started to once again shift her priorities of training.

Sasuke managed the illusion techniques well enough too, though fantastically with his Sharingan activated. Naruto, however, lacked the concentration and patience for genjutsu. Often he had trouble breaking out of an illusion due to his rash personality – and, secretly, the fluctuations of his layers of chakra. Casting them was even harder for the boy, and so in the end Kakashi had him focus properly on dispelling these techniques, much to Naruto's frustration.

They had a long way to go yet, but all three were quickly becoming a formidable team.

Individual training varied. Sometimes they were with each other, other times with friends, but mostly by themselves. Sakura's favourite growing sparring partners were Lee and Tenten, whom she practised her evasion and fast-paced counters against, and smaller periods of medical ninjutsu – which she still improved upon rapidly thanks to her past knowledge. Once in those five days, all the remaining rookies, in agreement with the jounin sensei, were brought together to combat their combined teachers in a simple game of 'Capture the Flag'.

Sakura found it incredibly fun, and a huge challenge. It was a good idea, forcing them to make new connections with ninja using different techniques than what they were used to in their team, and these connections had to be made fast to outwit their sensei. What was not witnessed during the Chuunin Exams was on full display now, and by the end, Team Eight were quickly prized amongst the rookies for their tracking skills, Sakura's medical skills were eagerly noted, and several fresh teamwork strategies had been developed to the point the jounin admitted there was possibility of team intermingling in the near future.

Those five days also made way for new changes in the Academy Schooling System, plus other outside training sessions, all of which involved medical assistance in the field or otherwise. Tsunade, after all her years away, was quick about setting up and enforcing these new changes, and had put in several names already whose abilities would match well with medical ninjutsu.

Things were evidently looking up. It seemed that after the failed attack on the village, the council and the Third Hokage were more determined than ever to strengthen the ninja in Konoha. And because of that, many teams had been sent out to instil trust back in the towns of the Fire Country, whilst also collecting money for repairs for the village. The system worked fluidly, but it was insanely busy when collecting missions at the Hokage Tower.

It was one of the things Sakura had to look forward to when she woke up on the last day of the week and looked out the window to see the rain finally lightening. The sun had begun to show itself through a break in the thinning grey clouds, but it was still cold enough that when she left that morning to meet with her team at the red bridge by the lake, she garbed herself in winter kunoichi clothes; fur-lined gloves and boots the most important to keep her joints warm.

Sasuke was the only one there at the bridge. To say it was awkward was an understatement.

Whatever walls she had broken down months ago had reformed themselves based on her actions of the past two nights, and she wasn't completely sure how to better things when he seemed more intent on ignoring her than he had ever done before. Because of that, she couldn't help but think he was such a child; a little boy still stuck in the past and unable to grow up.

Luckily they didn't have to wait long for Naruto who was still shoving food into his mouth as he ran up to them. He eased the tension long enough until Kakashi arrived with someone that had Sakura straightening her back and Naruto gaping, pointing in dismay.

"What the heck are you doing here, Pervy-Sage?!" he screamed.

Jiraiya tutted, swatting aside the accusing pointed digit. "That's no way to greet a great man like me, and especially after everything I've done for you."

"Wasting my time, you mean, with all that 'research' you do," Naruto grumbled. Sakura nudged him roughly. Jiraiya had taught him the Toad Summoning technique, which Naruto shown once or twice in training sessions, but it seemed the blond didn't quite appreciate what the older man had done for him. Naruto pouted, rubbing his arm.

"Alright, alright," Kakashi hushed. "Perhaps an introduction is in order. Naruto, you already know, but Sasuke, Sakura, this is Jiraiya the Toad Sage."

"And one of the Legendary Sannin," he boasted with a grin and thumbs up.

"One of…?" Sasuke asked. "Who are the others?"

"They are a known trio to the elder ninja of the Leaf Village," Sakura answered. "Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin. Tsunade, the Slug Sannin and widely known healer. And Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin."

Both boys winced. "Y-You mean the guy we saw in the Forest of Death?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.

"So you knew who he was," Sasuke noted, voice dropping to suspicious undertones.

"If you two read up more on the history of Konoha, perhaps you would know," Sakura reminded, hands on her hips. "The Sannin can be found, mentioned and referenced, in a number of books, although information on Orochimaru is less common due to his betrayal years ago, which is why he is not taught during Academy lessons. The Chuunin sensei really only teach what is basic and need-to-know for kids at that age, as there is little chance for them to come face to face with these missing-nin."

Kakashi chuckled, ruffling the medic-nin's hair. She scowled. "That's enough now, Sakura."

She slowly peeled her gaze from Sasuke's accusing one and crossed her arms in irritation. His attitude was beginning to annoy her once again. Was it always going to be like this? Back and forth about the trust issues they – or_ he_, really – had for her?

It was tiresome.

"Anyway, good news, students. We have a mission," Kakashi said.

"Booyah!" Naruto screamed, punching the air. He danced around his masked sensei, singing in celebration.

"We still have to accept it from the Hokage, of course, but considering what it entails, I figured it was best to prepare you."

"Why?" Sakura asked; Naruto paused in midstep. "What is it?"

Kakashi shrugged. "It's simple really. We're to escort the remaining of the Sand convoy back to their village."

Sakura breathed, "What?" in disbelief.

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. "Why would we need to be prepared for that? I mean, it sounds way too easy, and they still have a few ninja so it's not like they need our protection."

"That's true," Jiraiya said. "However, the Feudal Lord is sending a couple of civilian diplomats and they want Konoha ninja to protect them; at least until an alliance has been made between the two villages. I will also be joining you."

"What?!" Naruto screamed in exasperation. "Why do _you_ have to come?!"

Jiraiya flinched, fingers flexing. "It's really not any of your business."

"It's not for your 'research' is it?"

"You know, kid, you really get on my nerves."

"Yeah? Well, right back at ya!"

"It's scary how alike they are," Sakura muttered to herself, Kakashi nodding in agreement. She turned to him, fixing him with a questioning look. "But why were we told this before accepting the mission scroll? That's how missions above D-rank are normally accepted."

"Well, the Hokage board don't want to send personnel on this mission if they show distaste for certain people also involved. If any of you reacted negatively, they would have passed the mission over us."

"You're talking about Gaara, aren't you?"

"Mostly."

Sasuke huffed. "So why are we getting special treatment?"

"Who cares!" Naruto shouted, jumping up and down. "As long as this helps out the village, let's do it! When do we leave, huh? When? When?!"

Kakashi had his hands up to calm the excited boy. "Cool it, Naruto. We'll get the details when we actually accept the mission."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

Naruto made to leave for his next destination, but a hand latched onto his shoulder and pulled him back. "Hold it, kiddo. I did come here for a reason. You and I are gonna have a little talk," Jiraiya said.

The blond stared up at the Sannin suspiciously, moaning uncertainly. "I don't trust you… but alright… You'll give me the details later, right, Sakura?"

She nodded. "Over dinner if we're not leaving til tomorrow."

He brightened. "Good idea! Sasuke, wanna come?!"

She put effort into not looking in the Uchiha's direction when he answered with a dismissing grunt.

"How about you two discuss this later on?" Jiraiya suggested impatiently.

"This _is_ for later on!" Naruto growled.

The Sannin rolled his eyes and continued on his way, letting the boy catch up whenever he wanted. Bidding his teammates a rushed goodbye, Naruto trailed after him, sloppily fitting his backpack on and stumbling over his feet.

"Now then, we need to go through the officials to retrieve the scroll. They'll tell us when we'll be deployed," Kakashi said, raising a hand sign. "See you there in five, students."

And he was gone.

Sakura had to admit that she didn't mind the idea of this mission. The Akatsuki could be arriving anytime soon to intimidate the officials of Konoha whilst sparking fear in Naruto for what could be to come, and so this mission would get both Sasuke and Naruto out of Konoha and some place completely out of the way. At the same time it'd give Konoha the chance to bridge the unstable tie between both villages.

"Sunagakure, huh?" Sasuke suddenly spoke. He pushed himself off from the railing of the red bridge and ran a gloved hand through his misted hair, shaking dew loose. "Never been there before."

Sakura had no idea if he was talking to her or musing to himself. If the former, damn it was awkward.

"First time for everything," she answered regardless. "I imagine it'll still be hot, but the Land of Rivers may be chilly thanks to the mountains."

"I thought so."

This was stupid. "Look, Sasuke—"

"Don't be late," he stated, then disappeared.

Left alone, Sakura glared at where he last stood before grabbing her head and cursing at the Uchiha loudly, stomping her feet childishly. He was just so frustrating! Heaving, she headed towards the Hokage tower, passing through rock ridden streets and by other citizens selling, trading, or assisting with construction. When she entered the lower levels of the tower, the corridors were filled with ninja waiting to receive their missions, and others reporting in.

She saw Team Eight and one or two other chuunin she recognised before she finally found Sasuke waiting by a closed door. He gestured to the room, informing her that due to the amount of ninja returning that day, the board were split up to distribute the missions without wasting any time. Kakashi had arrived minutes later, and all three entered to be met with two chuunin from the board.

They were to leave at dawn the next day, and remain in Sunagakure until an alliance was made, which could be anywhere from a day to a week or two. During their last day home, all the rookies, including the two older Sand sibs, were required to assist other ninja with the reconstruction of the Hokage Mountain and nearby area, above and below. They worked in their teams, Shikamaru and Chouji joining two of the others.

Apparently the two were to remain in Konoha with D-rank missions and focus on their training with their sensei until a replacement could be found, one that Asuma approved of would fit the roles of the team. Shikamaru and Chouji didn't hide their distaste of having a new teammate, but they also disliked slaving away in the village; a change for Shikamaru, considering his lazy attitude towards everything.

The remainder of the day went fast and dawn had nearly arrived again. Team Seven met at the brick-red gates of Konoha, where several other Sand shinobi were mingling til it was time. There were two other people from Konoha that Sakura had never seen before who were supposedly the diplomats.

The dark clouds had moved on to the east, but despite that, it was still cold, although it was sure to last only the morning.

Temari, Kankuro and Baki arrived with Gaara just minutes before they had to leave. The former three all appeared uncertain of everything, while the latter looked exhausted, his head downcast as he trudged into the middle of the small convoy; other Sand ninja curled their lip at his presence.

The moment Jiraiya arrived, Baki approached the Konoha citizens and nodded in greeting.

"Despite what other Sand shinobi and kunoichi may say or act, I am grateful that you are joining us on the return journey," the half-veiled man said, sounding somewhat rehearsed, no doubt trying to make a good impression.

"A pleasure," Kakashi responded.

"Good. On that note, I have to ask why a Legendary Sannin is accompanying us as well."

Jiraiya scratched his chin. "A number of reasons really. Main one is that my research was taking me there anyway."

"Pervy-Sage!" Naruto shouted in the background. Baki blinked in surprise, and the Sand sibs glanced over their shoulders at the noise.

"Ahh," Baki eventually acknowledged with an amused smile. "The writer of the Icha Icha series."

Jiraiya chuckled deviously. "You know it? I'm flattered."

Baki frowned. "Yes. The distribution of books was banned recently."

Jiraiya's face fell, but Naruto and Sakura giggled to each other.

"That would make sense, though," Baki continued, "Considering I'd received word that Orochimaru had been under guise as the Kazekage."

"He resorted to burning books?" Kakashi asked dryly.

"The powerful can do the most childish things," Baki countered. "Something I am sure you associate well with."

Sakura's and Naruto's laughs grew a little bit louder.

"You've managed to damage both mine and Jiraiya's pride in just two sentences, Baki. I'm impressed," the Copy-nin approved.

The tanned jounin gave them a toothy smile, nodding in the rest of Team Seven's direction. "You are welcome." He returned to the Sand sibs, shouting for the convoy to begin.

Chuckling to himself, Naruto excitedly shrugged his backpack on, and Sakura unconsciously ran her hands over her body to ensure she had all of her equipment. Sasuke was prepared to go already.

It was time.


	18. Sunagakure

_Thanks for all your support everyone. :D Hope you enjoy this chapter. _

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><p>—<strong>CHAPTER EIGHTEEN—<strong>  
><em>Sunagakure<em>

* * *

><p>It had taken five days of walking for the towering walls of Sunagakure to be within sight. Naruto was so excited that neither the heat of the desert or the sand hiding in the worst crevices could stop him from running around his teammates. Just watching him tired Sakura out even more, and made her more aware of how horrible she must have looked. Sand caked her, threaded through her long pink hair in dried clumps beneath the shade of her hood. Wind burn was prominent over her cheeks and forehead, and she knew that her feet were sunburned, but other than that she was fine. Casting a look over her teammates, she assessed the same, and made a mental note to ease the burns later on.<p>

By early evening Team Seven were set up in an apartment of the Kazekage's tower. A main room, a bathroom and two smaller rooms that they had to share; Sakura was with Kakashi, though the moment he winked playfully at her she wondered if she should have shared with Naruto to avoid trouble.

The mood was sombre in their tight apartment. In a couple of hours the meeting between the Sand and the Leaf was about to begin, aided by Jiraiya from a shinobi stand point. She had no doubt an alliance would be established, but as she sat by the open window that overlooked the vast expanse of the village, she wondered if Gaara would still grow up to be the Kazekage of all of this.

She sighed, exploring with her eyes, not particularly wanting to think too much on the matter. Golden-coloured buildings were dulled from the blanket of night, but the air of superiority still rang for her with the light on in their apartment, making the walls glisten slightly. Fake pot plants were placed in random areas to brighten up the room, and there was a thin, oak bookcase filled with books, and several couches covered in a range of coloured pillows.

Kakashi had taken up the largest seat, sprawled out and re-reading his usual book. Off was his flak jacket and shoes, leaving him in dark casuals. Sasuke was by the bookshelf, flipping through interesting titles, and Naruto was in the shower, washing off the sand. It felt good to be finally clean, but it was still humid, creating a film of sweat on Sakura's bare skin.

Naruto sighed loudly walking into the main room, a towel around his neck, and sank into a bean bag by Kakashi's feet. He wore a black singlet and boxers, something that Sakura was far used to by now. "Damn, that feels good. So this is the Sand village, huh? Feels cold."

_Yeah, it does_, Sakura internally agreed. The first time she visited the village was during a period of mourning, when Gaara had been captured, but this time everything did feel darker, colder. Maybe it was the reign of fake Orochimaru, maybe it was it was because Gaara was still the monster of everyone's nightmares; maybe it was just the darkness.

* * *

><p>"Oooh, Sasuke!" Kakashi sang.<p>

The raven-haired shoulders sunk at the voice, and in mild exasperation he glanced behind to see the jounin waving and smiling a little too nicely to be innocent. He stopped and leaned against the sand-coloured walls to wait, tugging at his white shirt sticking to his skin with sweat. His bangs and hairline were wet as well, but despite how dirty he felt and how bad he must have smelled, his private training session outside in the sun had been well worth it.

Kakashi laughed a laugh that definitely hinted at alternate means. "How are you today, my student? Did a little training, did you? Well, that's good. Perhaps all of us could have a quick spar later in the evening."

"What do you want, Kakashi?" Sasuke asked tonelessly.

"I'm hurt you're suspecting me of something." He mocked pain.

The Uchiha cracked a smile. "It's so fake, it's painful."

This time Kakashi genuinely chuckled. "I couldn't help but notice how much distance you're putting between yourself and the other two."

Sasuke's smile disappeared.

"You can try to deny it, but you're not on the receiving end of one of Naruto's tirades concerning it. I swear that boy is as sensitive as a puppy, though less cuddly."

The imagery returned the smile to Sasuke's lips, but it sank slightly soon after. "I have my reasons."

"Reasons?" the other voiced. "What reasons would they be, pray-tell? Are they good reasons? Or are they bad? Do they make sense?"

"Kakashi," Sasuke warned again, gritting his teeth. "What is with you?"

The jounin sighed, crossing his arms and stroking his chin casually. His fingerless gloves were off and he was dressed in some light casuals from the Sand; beige coloured pants, a white, short-sleeved shirt with a baggy hood and some replacement black shoes. His feet were all red from the suns strong rays, thanks to the run through the desert towards Sunagakure the day before.

He tilted his head, noticing some sunburn around Sasuke's neck and arms too. "Call it concern, Sasuke. Speaking of which, I'd recommend either taking advantage of the hospitality of Sand and get your sunburns healed, or see Sakura. You know how she can get."

"Che." Sasuke looked away, crossing his arms. "Minor."

Kakashi punched his student's arm childishly. "Well, aren't you acting tough? If you still want to prove that you can take on anything, then I _do _suggest getting Sakura to heal you, while listening to Naruto complaining in the background." He chuckled fondly. "Amazing how it's your closest friends that make you so strong, eh?"

Sasuke's brow softened.

"They can prepare you for everything, and most often they'll support you with anything. Loyalty can be the strongest component for creating a formidable shinobi, as long as you appreciate it correctly." Kakashi stretched. "Well, I am starving. Lunch is ready back at the apartment. Toodles, Sasuke."

He waved several digits in the Uchiha's face before walking happily off, whistling, an orange book in hand.

Sasuke watched him go, and as soon as the jounin disappeared around the corner, he sighed, sliding down the wall to his haunches, arms stretched out over his knees. Kakashi was sly in getting the message across and hitting the mark almost pin-point of what was bothering him.

So used to solitary life, he had spoiled himself with the companionship of others. After so long like this, feeling at absolutely blissful peace, his revenge came back to him in the form of nightmares, reminding him again of what he had vowed to do. But he wasn't sure how to combine such different lives together; he didn't even know where to begin or whether it was even right. And it was this that troubled him so. His normal, natural response to it – to his thoughts and opinions of his teammates and friends – was to avoid it all and detach himself from them.

It was harder than he thought, when they managed to latch on to him so tightly already, that the thought of them gone...

"Stupid Kakashi," Sasuke cursed, rising back up to his blistered feet and taking a tentative step towards the apartment room. Heading towards the Sunagakure hospital was an idea he didn't relish, so with a resigned groan he continued on after Kakashi.

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><p>It had been around twenty-four hours since Team Seven had arrived in Sunagakure, and for the millionth time Naruto grumbled loudly in frustration as he waved a fan vigorously over his sweating skin. His stomach growled, and frequently he cast a look at the food already prepared on the centre table. Sakura was perched on the single seat nearby to him, hair pulled up into a high bun and reading up on some landmarks within the sandy village.<p>

Whenever she had frequented Sunagakure in the past it had always been for strict missions regarding the relationships of the great villages, such as assisting the Medical Core with new discoveries native to the terrain that was the Fire Country; of course it was vice versa, for all the villages. She had also taken a special, top secret mission regarding Gaara's alarming request about ensuring he could produce no children, which she had little luck in convincing him otherwise. However, she had rarely had the time to explore the great village, and knew little about its cultural heritage.

She frowned as she flipped the page, seeing an aerial view of the village. It sparked a reminder of Deidara, of what was still to come and what she had to prepare herself for but decided she couldn't, wouldn't and shouldn't stop from happening. The deep ravines they passed on their way to this solitary great village surfaced in her memories. She had sat by one during their break, thinking back to her fight alongside Chiyo against Sasori of the Red Sand, and how killing the Akatsuki member had led to their confrontation with Orochimaru and Kabuto, and then inevitably Sasuke.

_Sai was there too,_ she told herself. _If none of that happens, will I ever meet him again? On those sorts of terms? Then again, none of that might happen if Sasuke chooses to stay._

Eventually she realised she was clenching the book tightly, and she exhaled softly to force herself to relax.

Naruto yawned. "Damn. I thought he said it got colder! I mean, besides the nights!"

"Sunagakure is different from Konoha," Sakura reminded delicately, her prior thoughts having waned her patience more than she would like.

"Yeah yeah." He sighed, slapping his fan down in aggravation. "Man, I'm so bored! I should have followed Sasuke when he went training. At least it was something to do while we're here!" He raised a hand. "Bah. You don't need to comment on that by the way."

The medic-nin slowly grinned into her book at her teammate. He really had been getting to know her quite well, all her antics and habits and fast quips that had him thinking on it for a time afterwards to figure out just what she had intended by saying such things. It was actually a little scary at how he seemed to be able to read her mind, and even anticipate her actions.

Naruto was fast becoming his old self from what she knew in her old life, but at the same time still managing to be the knucklehead ninja he was proud to be.

"Haven't seen Pervy-Sage, either," he mumbled, swishing his fan again. "Wonder how the meeting is going. Oh man! I'm so bored!" he cried again. "I need to get out and do something! All this waiting is driving me crazy!"

"Speak with Temari or Kankuro about permission to do laps around the village," Sakura suggested. Although an alliance was pending, it was merely a safety measure to receive permission before doing anything around the village, just in case it caused some unrest.

Naruto shuddered. "That Temari-girl kinda freaks me out," he said, chuckling nervously. "Her Wind Jutsu reminds me of your super strength, and I see that enough from you."

Sakura flinched. "Say what?"

"Compliment!" he shouted, shooting up and waving his arms and fan as though it would diffuse the theoretical fire creeping up. "It was a compliment, Sakura!"

"How is _that_ a compliment? Do I really freak you out?"

He scratched the back of his head, still nervous. "Let's just say that when I see you raise your fist, whether it's directed to me or not, I run like hell, okay?"

Sakura closed her book in thought. "I suppose that can be a compliment."

Naruto sighed in relief. "I should nickname it 'Monster Strength'."

"Don't you even think about it."

He shut up like a clam, lips pursed, and laid back down on the couch, fanning fanatically. Sakura did have a habit of exaggerating anger, as the smallest things could irritate her, and Naruto knew that all too well, but he definitely also knew when she was serious.

After a minute of silence the blond moulded into the couch again, sensing that he was out of the danger zone. The quiet of the room often made his thoughts wonder, which also led to ranting about any topic that happened to crawl its way into his head. But he was stuck on the meeting happening in the same building as them, pondering over what the possible outcomes could be of it.

Unable to keep quiet about it, he finally voiced his thoughts. "Kinda wonder what they did with Gaara. He's really an okay guy; not bad at all, like everyone here seems to think he is. He's actually a lot like me that it's scary."

Sakura stopped in her skimming. _I'm technically not meant to know that Naruto is a Jinchuuriki, aren't I? But after learning of it years ago, it's impossible for me to not think it's obvious._

"I can get why Konoha might be scared of him," he continued. "He did hulk out in the middle of the village. It probably reminded them of—of… thirteen years ago when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked. See, Sakura? Sometimes I read up on history." He grinned in triumph, and then the joy fell. "He looked so messed up. It was like looking at a mirror image of me years ago."

"Time can give the chance for every person to change," Sakura said. "Your similarities would have been an eye-opener for Gaara, so I have no doubt he'll be an even different person when we next meet him."

Naruto kept his eyes on his teammate for a while longer, and then smiled sombrely. "Yeah. I just hope it's soon. And you know what? Maybe you changed him too; ever since the Exams."

Sakura had wondered if anything was going to happen thanks to that event and the little intimidation scene he had made afterwards when she was stuck in hospital because of their battle. Would he even talk about that? Or would he just build off of it, leaving it as an unspoken acknowledgement that didn't need to be addressed? Would he even talk to her at all?

She had opened her mouth to discuss the subject when the door opened and Kakashi waltzed in, raising a hand in happy greeting. Naruto laughed in relief, rolling off his couch and sitting behind the table with chopsticks in his hand. With a cheer he snapped the wood. "Come on, already! You're getting old, Kakashi-sensei!" he teased.

Sakura rolled her eyes, smiling in amusement, before slipping from her seat and shuffling around the other side opposite Naruto. The jounin sagged at the insult and pulled off his sandals, ignoring Sakura's hawk-like eyes snapping to his sunburned feet.

"Kakashi-sensei," she growled.

"Hmm?"

"After lunch, stay here."

"…alright."

Naruto chortled. "My sunburn showed up an hour ago when you and Sasuke were out." He lifted his bare feet above the table, making Sakura widen her eyes at the indecency. "Now they're all better!"

"Naruto! Don't you dare put your dirty feet near the food!" she snapped, whacking his limbs down hard.

"Okay! Okay! Sheesh."

"Don't 'sheesh' me!"

Naruto huffed, dangling his chopsticks skilfully in one hand as he sank his chin into another. "Must be that time of the month."

Sakura sent him a vicious glare. "Do you want me to tell you its procedure again?" she threatened.

The blond paled. "Err, no thanks, Sakura. Not before eating."

Kakashi pulled apart his chopsticks. "You would think you'd have learned not to say such things from the last time, Naruto."

"Well, it makes sense!"

"It's not the only reason for why women can get touchy," Sakura said. "Sometimes the opposite sex are just so clueless that it's too frustrating to hold it in."

"Now now," Kakashi calmed, waving his hands. "Let's not get into a fight just before lunch."

Naruto crossed his arms, huffing. "Why do we have to wait for Sasuke, anyway? I mean, for the past two weeks the bastard chose to skip out on breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner whenever we asked him! It's not like he's gonna show up anytime soon."

As if he heard his words, said boy calmly walked in and silently closed the door, running a hand over his sweaty neck. Exhaling softly, he looked up to see his team waiting. Naruto had an eyebrow quirked suspiciously, Kakashi looked half asleep as he waited to begin eating, and Sakura sighed at the sight of him.

"Looks like you'll need to be fixed up too. Take off your shoes and let your feet rest, Sasuke. Those blisters look bad."

The Uchiha inspected his feet, not surprised that the medic-nin had noticed all his wounds with a quick once-over. Gingerly he pulled his sandals off and set them by the others near the door. He hid the grimace of pain when he joined them at the table, slowly setting himself down by the hawk-eyed Naruto.

Kakashi opened his single visible eye, checking each of his students. Seeing that they were all content, he unfolded his arms and clapped his hands together, rubbing them excitedly. "Food!"

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><p>For the next three days everything remained tense; something had shifted again. Sasuke was present more often, instead of spending as much time as he could avoiding them. This was new to both Naruto and Sakura, the latter whom was slightly grateful that he had obviously changed his mind about something. Otherwise everything had been smooth sailing. They heard little from Jiraiya, and saw him even less. Occasionally they had trekked outside to train in the heat, and had been treated to a dinner one of the nights, a sign that negotiations were going well.<p>

On the third night Kakashi had been briefly called in by the council, and when he returned Sakura stood up, momentarily faulting at the sight of Sasuke slipping through. He had clearly been training privately again, as sand had stuck to him, scattered through his black locks. Without any acknowledgement he made a bee-line for the bathroom. Naruto yelped in shock, yelling at the Uchiha to leave, before a flush could be heard and the blond zipped out, his face red.

"Geez! Doesn't he know patience?" he stated rhetorically. "Hands. Must wash hands. Don't worry, Sakura, I haven't forgotten!"

She ignored him and sidled up to Kakashi. "What happened?"

He arched an eyebrow. "With him or the council?"

"The council," she said as if it was obvious. "Jiraiya says things are going fine, but I can't help but be nervous."

"Well, you can calm your pretty head down now," he hushed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Everything looks to be alright. Gaara will be fine, too. I can be quite persuasive."

"With the same sex?" she responded dryly.

Kakashi sighed. "Is that how everyone perceives me?"

"Ditch the book and we'll see."

He appeared affronted. "I'd rather stick with the perceptions. At least they're correct."

Sakura tried to hold it in but a giggle burst through her lips and her teeth were bared in a wide grin.

Dinner was delivered to their door later that night. The ever-present tension was obvious to everyone as they ate, and it was Kakashi that made the first motion. He set his white bowl down gentle, pressing the butt of his chopsticks to his covered lips. "Alright. Are team building exercises required again? I'm sensing some awkwardness, that perhaps it's necessary."

All at once the students complained; Sasuke with his head buried into a hand, Naruto fake crying and Sakura begging Kakashi that they didn't, mentally adding that there'd be no point. The jounin, however, heard none of it and put down his chopsticks, rubbing his hands together.

"I spy… with my little eye…" he began. Team Seven sank onto their haunches once more, returning to their meal and ignoring their teacher. "...Something beginning with… P." With a smile he dug back into his meal and waited for someone to guess. While all three showed no interest in participating, Kakashi could see their eyes wondering around to find his chosen object.

"Pillow," Sasuke eventually said.

"Correct. Your turn now."

Naruto cursed to himself.

"B," was the Uchiha's instant letter.

"Ha!" Naruto cried. "That's an easy one!"

"Then say it, idiot."

"Book!"

Sasuke nodded.

"Starting off easy, I see," Kakashi noted deviously.

"F!"

Eating continued while they thought. "Fan," Sakura guessed.

"Nope!"

"Frog."

"Right, Sasuke!"

Sakura frowned, searching for said object. She found Naruto's fat green wallet on the couch behind him, from when he went looking around the village earlier that day.

"C."

"Chopsticks!" He nodded at Sakura. "B."

"Uh, bowls." Naruto tapped the clay rim.

"No."

"Bed?"

"Only what we can see, Sasuke."

"I can see the beds."

"I can't, Smart-arse."

"Button!"

"No, Naruto, but good guess."

"Bulb," Kakashi said tonelessly.

"Right!"

For another half hour the simple game continued, until their drawn out dinner had finally been finished. Kakashi's attempt to string back together their relationships had worked, and Sasuke was reacting to insults and teases and doling them out almost as much as he used to. Smiles and giggles and laughter increased for all of them after they began 'Go Fish', a game which also led to a lot of yelling between the two boys, and then Sakura when she learned they were cheating and working together.

"Sakura, it's called putting aside differences to win!" Naruto tried to soothe, dodging a swing of a red square pillow.

"I call it ganging up!"

Sasuke effortlessly leaned back to evade an attack himself. "A compliment, Sakura, that we saw you as a threat."

"Don't sweet talk me, pretty boy," she growled. "You lied about your seven!"

"So?"

"You had one!"

"So?"

"I needed it!"

"So?"

"Annoying!" Sakura cried, slamming her hand of cards on the table and twitching. "Note to self to never play poker with you cheaters." She slumped into a hand, elbow on the wooden surface. "You guys are mean."

Naruto chuckled wickedly as he herded all the cards into his hands. "Pay back. It's for all the dirty jokes you made on us."

Sakura flexed her fingers. "You're kidding, right? You make me feel like a big bad witch."

Sasuke shrugged. "If the shoe fits."

"Ohp," Kakashi squeaked, jumping out of the way as a pillow came crashing down on Sasuke's head. His forehead smashed against the table, shaking all the dishes, and Naruto yelped, flinging to the side behind the cover of one of the chairs. Sasuke shook his head, disorientated, before rising up to his feet in height with Sakura still wielding her weapon.

"Take that back, cheater," she threatened.

"Or what?"

"Yikes!" Naruto screamed.

"Or this!" Sakura growled and swung at the Uchiha. He blocked and stole the pillow from her grasp, swinging back at her. She ducked and it whizzed over her head. Quickly she reached for another nearby and whacked his arm as she received a blow over the head.

"You're an ass, Uchiha!" she yelled, leaping over the table and hitting him repeatedly. Sasuke was just as vicious in his blocks and attacks; he continually kept grabbing her pillow and landing a blow hard on her head right after. She quickly learned his patterns and changed it up, and in seconds the two were dancing over the furniture, pillows swinging.

Naruto was pulled into it not a minute later when Sasuke missed Sakura and hit the blond so hard his neck cracked. Enraged, the Uzumaki grabbed his own pillow and announced the Uchiha's doom.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had retreated to a corner of the room to observe, content with watching his team beating the daylights out of each other.

An hour later Naruto claimed victory with the pillow fight, holding his weapon of choice above his head like it was the cup of a tournament. Sakura was rolling on the floor, laughing, and Sasuke was grinning, trying to move Naruto's foot from his stomach. He belted his pillow at the blond as the last word, and he stumbled back, falling when Sasuke tripped him.

The result had Sakura unable to breathe when she rolled back around and saw Naruto straddling the Uchiha, shocked expressions mirrored in each others faces.

"Get off, loser!"

Naruto peeled himself away faster than he could eat ramen, hiding on the other side of the still-laughing Sakura. "It was your fault!" he protested.

"How was that my fault?"

"You tripped me!"

"You were standing on me."

"I was enjoying my victory, thank you very much!"

"You—"

"Woah, woah, boys! Do I have to sleep between you two tonight so you don't throttle each other in your sleep?" Sakura joked.

Minutes later and she regretted her words when she was wedged between the both of them in their room, staring up at the ceiling unimpressed. Two in the room left space on the sides, but three ensured their futons were touching, making them all fidget and bicker until they settled. _Should have kept my big mouth_ shut, she complained._ Damn Kakashi just wanted the room to himself._

Right away the Uchiha had rolled over, his back to her, trying to get to sleep, but Naruto insisted on talking. "Just realised how much cleaner this place is. It kinda inspires me. Maybe I should clean my apartment."

"That's impossible," Sasuke murmured from his side.

"Shut up, Sasuke."

Sakura just knew they'd break into some sort of verbal fight again.

"But I'm serious. I have so much stuff on my floor I can't even see it. Ramen cups, chocolate wrappers, magazines, you name it. Hey, Sakura, would you help me clean it up?"

"I'm not stepping foot into your apartment until you've at least made a pathway to every room in it."

"Oh, rats."

"Told you she would say that."

"I thought you were sleeping."

"Are you aware your whispering is exactly the same as when it's loud?"

"Are you aware you used to be as silent as the grave?"

"Are you two aware you're fighting like an old married couple?"

There was an awkward silence, Sakura mentally patting herself on the back for the comment.

"Ew…" she heard Naruto sound from her right. "She's at it again, Sasuke."

Sakura giggled, trying to stifle it by snuggling further under the covers of the beige-coloured blanket.

"I swear your mind is exactly like Naruto's," Sasuke accused.

Sakura glared in his direction. "Excuse me, Mr Candle-lover?"

He sat up, bringing his own blanket down as he set on Sakura a similar sort of scowl. "I mention that just once and you remember it."

"Sasuke Uchiha likes scented candles; how can I not remember that?" she countered.

"And you know what else I found out he likes?" Naruto added.

"What?"

"Scarves."

"That's it." Sasuke reached over Sakura and dragged Naruto over to him, putting him into a headlock. Naruto gurgled and gagged as he kicked his feet, and Sakura tried to slither back out of her bed but found herself staying where she was with Naruto's dangerous flailing of his arms.

"Forget everything you saw in my apartment," Sasuke threatened.

Sakura wondered if Naruto was now laughing. "Or what?" the blond asked.

"Or I'll tell her everything you have in your room."

"Come on!" Naruto cried. "She already knows I'm a grub!"

"You know what? I hate you," Sasuke said, holding onto him tighter, which somehow made Naruto laugh harder.

"I… hate… you too," the blond gagged out.

"Aww, it's like a love confession," Sakura cooed, grinning.

Sasuke stopped trying to strangle Naruto and in unison the two boys glared in her direction.

"Get her."

"Yep."

"No. No!"

* * *

><p>Later in the night, very early in the morning, Sasuke sighed and turned away from the open window and its show of the big moon. Resting upon his arm, he looked at both of his teammates, watching their chests rise as they breathed. Naruto had sprawled out, legs apart, arm on his stomach pushing off his blanket, and his other arm stretched above Sakura's pillow. Sakura was facing him, curled up in a ball with a hand gripping a lock of her long hair.<p>

They looked so content, even with all the problems they had with each other and in their everyday life. They gave him something akin to a normal life, and after Kakashi's purpose slip of words and night of fun and games, Sasuke was grateful. It gave him a taste of what it was like if he kept them close as friends, if he pursued his goal in his own time alongside people who made him feel better, who gave him a foundation that he could lean against if he was troubled. A life outside of Konoha just seemed so lonely, and briefly Sasuke wondered how Itachi could even wish that upon himself.

How could Itachi feel he was forced to test his powers on their own family? What had gone through his mind when he did it? Ever since Sasuke's verbal-fight with Sakura in the aftermath of the attack on the village, those sorts of doubting questions had plagued his mind when his nightmares of his past had resumed. All he ever revolved around was the fact that Itachi had done it, and not more on the why or what had led to it.

He had seen the change in his older brother long before that night had occurred; had seen the friction between his brother and the rest of the clan. How could he dismiss that? How could he swallow Itachi's words of testing his power so easily?

_"Stop thinking you have all the facts!"_

Sakura's words had struck a chord in him. He didn't doubt they also related to her own circumstances, but she was right. He hadn't researched everything about the massacre, and thinking on it now, there were some holes he had missed. Did the clan push Itachi into killing them in some way? Were they forcing his hand?

Sasuke held on tightly to the ends of his sheets as his thoughts expanded into dangerous territory.

Had Itachi been stuck between the loyalty to the village as an ANBU... and his loyalty to the clan? It was preposterous; a sign that Sasuke was thinking too much on the subject to ever go down such a dark trail of possibilities.

Sakura suddenly moved, twisting in her bed, moving her arms and whacking him in the face. Sasuke flinched, torn out of his heart-pounding musings, and grabbed her wrist, pulling it away. She moaned and smacked her lips together before settling down again. Looking at her acting like that, he wondered how this girl could hint that she had gone through something bad. How was she still so alive if it had tortured her heart and soul like she seemed to suggest?

How?

But then, Sasuke had an idea of what led to her survival, when Naruto accidentally shifted and touched her with his arm and she unconsciously punched his side lightly. He snorted and rolled over. She muttered, "pervert". Neither of them woke up.

_Damn,_ Sasuke thought, closing his eyes tightly then opening them again to gaze at his friends. _I just keep coming back to them, don't I?_

He couldn't explain it. Somehow those thoughts led to sudden, overbearing excitement in his chest, the fear of the past stamped out. Unable to contain himself, Sasuke grinned; happy.


	19. They Are Coming

_As usual, thank you all very much for your support. :D _

_Warnings?__ I used an OC in this chapter because the perspective flowed better for establishing the scene in question. I did not want to get into the guts of it, and wanted to show how fast combat is. This OC won't be appearing as a 'main' like that again._

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><p>—<strong>CHAPTER NINETEEN—<br>**_They Are Coming_

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><p>When Sakura saw them a childish excitement took hold of her and she sprinted for the vacant swings, leaping for the rubber seat. She hadn't been on one in years, and although there was a playground or two in Konoha, she was often busy with work, training or missions to even enjoy them. Time in Suna was almost like a vacation, so why the hell not?<p>

Grinning broadly, the pinkette swung her legs to and fro until she reached a comfortable height. She could see above the smaller, flatter buildings, and saw the main street that stemmed out into another thick one and then led into a main square, where a circular fountain spewed fresh water. There were a lot of people milling about there, going about everyday business at the stalls that lined the sides, filled to the brim with various produce and wares. She watched as a group of Academy students complied with a task from their sensei, which seemed to be a treasure hunt of sorts.

Her skin pricked and Sakura looked back down at the playground around her, seeing Gaara standing by the pale yellow climbing rack. Civilians were blatantly giving him, and the playground as a whole, a wide berth.

He was dressed in casual clothes, which made him look very different and strange to her; a long-sleeved maroon jacket with the hood pulled over, a white shirt and black baggy pants held up securely with several layers of a white belt, its ends hanging to his knees. No gourd, either, and his eyes were not on her, but on her swing.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Sakura asked after a moment's deliberation.

Silently Gaara trudged around her and sat on the swing next to her. He kicked off a little, keeping low. He didn't say anything, and Sakura didn't initiate conversation either, focusing on her fun, but it didn't last for long.

"I can see what you mean now," he said.

Sakura frowned. "About what?"

"Love isn't weak."

"What made you come to that conclusion?" she asked slowly, trying to remember when she had made that comment. It took a second for her to connect with their little talk when she was in hospital in Konoha, and another second to try and remember what they even spoke about.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he replied. "And Hinata Hyuuga."

This time she paid him proper attention. She never knew what he thought of the shy female, and she wondered if it was at all a time to ask. There was no chance right then, though.

"Naruto is like me. He harbours a demon. And yet she loves him unconditionally." He looked at his feet, kicking at the sand. "Maybe there is hope for me yet," he whispered. "Maybe there is someone out there who will look at me and talk about me the way she does for him. He's lucky. But there is one thing I don't understand."

He turned to Sakura who had slowed her swing down to a near halt. His forehead marred in confusion, wisps of red hair falling from their hide under his hood due to the gentle breeze.

"Why doesn't she tell him she loves him?" he asked.

Sakura mentally groaned at the question. He really did ask the most difficult things, and love was a very confusing subject that it was nearly impossible to fully answer. Everybody had their own interpretation of the emotion, and in truth Sakura didn't know what his past experiences with it was that led to him to be who he was in the Exams, and then this, where he was pondering it. How could she talk about something that seemed deeply personal to him as well, without setting him off in the wrong direction or insulting him?

"Hinata is a very shy girl," she eventually answered. "It's not easy confessing feelings to another person, especially when you're not sure if they even know you exist."

"He talks to her. He knows she exists."

"He's oblivious. Naruto's priorities are set on something else, not on romantic love. He's more dead-set on proving himself to everyone, that a wallflower's feelings for him is something too far in the background for him to even notice. It sounds harsh, but… it's true."

"Why doesn't anyone tell him?"

Sakura giggled nervously. "It's hard to explain, Gaara."

His frown deepened and he looked back at his feet, before turning to her once again with a new question in mind. "How do you make someone love you romantically?"

"Oh. That." She sighed deeply, taking her time to find a middle-ground answer. "When you find out, tell me. I could use the help."

"You?"

She laughed, coyness catching her words. "What? Am I so adorably gorgeous it's hard to picture that not many people fall for me?"

Gaara's perplexed expression almost made her giggle again. "Naruto loves you. Lee loves you," he stated.

"They're different," she answered, mirth gone from her face. "They've sort of been friend-zoned."

"Friend-zoned?"

She sighed in contained exasperation, realising what she was getting herself into. "Oh boy."

* * *

><p>Afternoon in Konoha was the warmest time of day before winter, and Tenten and Hinata decided to take advantage of the still shining sun while they had it. D-ranked missions were simple but numerous since the attack, yet luckily it all seemed to be dying down recently, allowing the genin to have some free time.<p>

Hinata sighed in content, revelling in the warm sun on her face as she shuffled further into her fold-out seat and wedged a fishing pole between her knees to pull on her winter gloves. "Do you do this often, Tenten?" she asked.

The brunette laughed as she opened a flask of tea, poured some into a separate cup and then sat down. She took a short sip of the hot drink and offered the flask to Hinata to fill her own cup by her feet. Tenten licked her lips when she answered. "Not really. Sakura recommended it about a week ago. Have only done it once considering time restraints, but it's really calming." She then set up her own fishing line.

There was a sort of canal that ran through Konoha, lined with a decent path and a row of trees. The canal opened up into a stream further to the east, and then into a lake just outside of Konoha. Fish were often gathered around these areas, although sparse in the canal, but Tenten had explained to the Hyuuga that the novelty of fishing and just relaxing was something that couldn't be beat, except the real thing had to be experienced sometime when missions had slowed completely and permanently and they could spare the time.

It was a strange idea to Hinata; just sitting there with the line out, waiting for no fish to bite, unless some braved the canals. However, with the forest at her back and Konoha on the other side, something about it _was_ enjoyable. Not even the coolish weather could stop them, and as Hinata settled back and let the time go, she was thankful that Tenten had pushed her enough into accepting the offer. She looked forward to properly going fishing in the future then.

For some time the both of them remained there, talking about any topics that came up as people passed by behind them on walks. Hinata, though, skirted the issues with her cousin and family, something that was of interest to Tenten but she didn't pry. They snacked on sandwiches and hot green tea, and then Hinata brought out some dango she made earlier that morning.

Over the sweet food, they complained together about the surmounting D-ranked missions given to their teams, but enjoyed seeing all their hard work in the reconstruction of the Hokage Mountain. Even from their seats they could see a few ninja fixing up the rock seams that made the faces of the Hokage, and they agreed that within the next week it would be as good as new. Excavation of the rock below was nearly done as well, and after that, it was mostly required to rebuild the buildings flattened during the battle.

It was a tentative subject - the battle - when Tenten broached it, unaware that Hinata had actually been seeing the red-haired Sungakure nin beforehand. It actually shocked the brunette, and, blushing, Hinata quietly explained that at that time she really just needed to vent. He was there, and he didn't hurt her, but she knew in the end that he had been listening, because when he and Naruto were in mid-fight and he was going in for the kill, she arrived in time to scream out that it was _him_, giving the blond a chance to take the lead.

Tenten smiled warmly at those words, knowing full well of the Hyuuga's interest in Naruto.

"Strange," a voice suddenly remarked. "I would think there'd be no fish this far up."

Both kunoichi stopped their conversation and gazed up at two tall men dressed in black cloaks printed with white-outlined red clouds. Straw hats with white tendrils and a bell blew in the gentle breeze of the coming winter; the bell chimed pleasantly. The face of the second, shorter man was shaded, but a big smile and large teeth were bared on the other, unnatural eyes gleaming down at them, surrounded by blue tinted skin and the bottom of his concealed hitae-ate. A giant, white weapon was strapped to his back.

Unease set in, and Hinata slowly pulled a stick of dango from her lips, fingers pinching the wood tightly, her other hand clenching her fishing rod.

"It's pretty soothing," Tenten told them, smiling.

"No kidding." The man chuckled. "Maybe I should try it sometime."

"There is little time for that," the other responded. Chills exploded on Hinata's skin, hidden beneath her clothes. "We have a mission to do."

Tenten perked. "Oh? So you have business in Konoha? Not the best clothes to be wearing, unless you want to be mistaken as shady people."

"We've been on the road for a while, and are just passing through," the taller one said. "Came here to stock up, collect a few things… maybe catch the results of the Exams, hm?"

"Yes," the second began. His bell jingled as he tilted his head. "Enjoyable?"

The brunette nodded slowly. "From what was seen. There was only one battle, between my teammate, Rock Lee, and Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sasuke Uchiha, you say?" the first mused. "And who was the victor of that battle?"

Tenten met Hinata's fearful eyes. "Well, it was my teammate."

The tallest man laughed. "A bit disappointing, in my opinion. I bet a lot of people lost that wage. You would have thought someone with the name 'Uchiha' would have come out on top."

Tenten huffed. "My teammate deserved the win. It's a telltale sign that bloodlines don't always prove the victor."

He raised his arms in defence, sleeves slipping down. "Woah." He chuckled. "Calm down there. Didn't I just suggest that I was impressed that your teammate won? Who was he? Rock… Lee?"

She seemed uncertain having said his name now. "Yeah."

He laughed again, elbowing his friend. "How about that. I should get this guys autograph."

"Hn."

The blue-skinned man sighed, moving beside Hinata who froze even more at his close presence and peered down at his painted toes. A line of bugs was passing him. "Maybe I should join you girls with your fishing. This guy doesn't know the meaning of fun." He squatted down, in height with Hinata, and turned to look at her. "What's your name?"

She tore her gaze away, grip tightening around her rod. "I-I don't think that's necessary," she whispered.

His sudden laughter made her jolt, completely unnerving her with his mirth. "So shy for a kunoichi." He paused. "But they say the shy ones scream the loudest."

Tenten stood up abruptly, knocking her chair over.

"Enough," the second cut in before she could say a word.

Hinata had gone as white as a sheet and Tenten's expression was screwed up in rage. "I suggest getting what you need and leave," she ordered.

"Che." The larger man stood. "So this is the hospitality of the Leaf village. Can't say I'm impressed." Suddenly his smile disappeared and he gripped his weapon, slinging it over his shoulder and letting it hit the ground with a horrible boom. Blue hands met for a hand sign, and chakra expelled from his body, black dots spilling from his form.

Action.

Tenten whipped her fishing line from the water and snagged it around his neck before he had even dropped his hands, yanking him towards her. His hat fell, and Hinata's chair went toppling into the canal as she swerved around the back of the larger man and prepared a palm for the other man from behind. Her wrist was caught, a red ring gleaming from a slim finger. She activated her Byakugan and yanked their hold towards her, slipping closer in to break a chakra point at his hips with her other hand.

His second hand captured her wrist again, and fluidly Hinata twisted on the spot to coil his arms around each other. He was forced to let go, and in that split second she just managed a hit before a foot was buried into her stomach and she was sent skimming across the ground. Strength momentarily frazzled, Hinata coughed out blood from the strong blow and gradually got to her feet.

Both men were hatless, and the two girls were left staring at the scratched hitae-ate's they adorned; Mist and Leaf. The larger man chuckled, twisting a finger and snapping the fishing line. Tenten stumbled back, lowering her rod but hovering a hand by her waist where a scroll was tucked. He rose back to his startling height and appraised the brunette, before turning around and looking over Hinata. Blood leaked from a sharp, deep cut on his cheek made from the fishing hook.

"This is interesting," he commented, baring his sharp teeth in an excited grin.

"You can come out now," the second said, eyes switching to blood red.

Hinata, the only one facing him, instantly dropped her eyes to his feet._ Sharingan! He's an Uchiha! But… who? I-I thought there were no more. I thought Sasuke was the last. B-But he's from Konoha. He has the Leaf insignia. So, who…?_

Shino Aburame came out from the shadows of the forest, keeping his distance from the two missing-nin.

"Your teamwork is remarkable," the ex-Leaf-nin stated. His eyes slanted towards Shino on his left. "An heir to the Aburame clan. You are indeed skilled in the use of your critters. I almost didn't notice them." His partner huffed in agreement.

"Who are you?" Shino demanded.

"He's an Uchiha," Hinata told them. Tenten readied herself even more, and Shino took another step back, just in case.

"It seems your first name isn't too well known, Itachi," the larger man said, chuckling.

"To the younger generation, perhaps," the Uchiha agreed.

"You're not exactly well loved. Spoiling these kid's dreams with what you did in the past would probably put them off being a ninja for life."

"Knowing these people," Itachi said, "that is very likely. A shame. A waste." He turned back to Hinata. "They should be preparing you for the worst that's out there."

The ex-Wave-nin shrugged his shoulders, grabbing his weapon's hilt. "And here we are."

Hinata's heart pounded as she slipped her feet back into the clan's iconic stance, arms out wide. She could see Itachi's fingers press slightly into his side, testing.

"A Hyuuga," he noted.

The other turned to her in recognition, focusing on her eyes. "Ahh, I see now."

"Hinata Hyuuga," Itachi named.

Said female widened her eyes in surprise, nearly matching his in a brief lack of concentration. Shino faced her slightly, and Tenten grabbed her scroll but did not open it.

"You know her?" the first missing-nin asked.

"Little," Itachi said. "She was present at clan meetings between the Uchiha and Hyuuga. It's been many years."

Hinata swallowed in fear, sweat trickling down her brow and cheeks. She searched her memories for this man; tall, lithe, long black hair, impassive face. She found him, though his features were blurred and he was younger. At meetings he would sit behind his father, to his right. Little Sasuke was next to him, barely able to keep his eyesight on the ground and not on the Hyuuga clan opposite him.

_Sasuke's older brother,_ Hinata recalled. _Father said he was the gem of the Uchiha clan. And then after they were killed, I remember him saying that… that their own weapon had turned against them. _She exhaled, lips thinning in realisation. _So he's the reason Sasuke is all alone._

Rage and pity swelled within her, and she trembled in queer anticipation.

"Well," the blue-skinned man said. "It looks like we're not getting out of here without a fight."

"It seems so. Try not to make too much mess, Kisame. Your moves are rather showy."

Kisame chuckled. "No promises."

He was the first to make a move. With one hand he lifted his weapon, and Tenten reacted. She opened her scroll and it rolled out beneath his sword. In ease he shifted his weight, capturing the folds of paper in a knot, but Tenten had swiftly raced towards him, ducking beneath his thick blade. Smoke bloomed across her scroll as she ran her hand across the paper and brought it up before him. A ribbed whip slipped from the grey clouds, skimming across his body, the dark cloth of his cloak tearing as blood spat. Tenten then twisted her hand and sent the whip lashing around his sword-arm.

Kisame grunted and pulled back, his arm ripping in the hold of the whip, sending more blood spraying. Tenten ducked again as the sword grazed over her back, and her mouth opened in silent pain when her shirt was torn off her back, blood spilling. Smirking, the missing-nin gripped the whip still wrapped around his limb and yanked her towards him, kneeing her in the gut. She exploded, shrouding him in smoke.

In those few seconds of combat Shino and Hinata followed Tenten's lead, springing towards Itachi. Shino reached him first, and the Uchiha dodged back, brushing the smoke away with the wind of his movement. The Aburame, safe from the Sharingan with his tinted glasses, swung at Itachi and he ducked, digging a kunai into his gut. Shino burst into bugs, showering the Uchiha completely.

He moaned in annoyance, preparing a sign to dispel them when Hinata appeared by his side. He moved to stop her but she feinted, swinging her leg across the floor and hitting his legs. The moment she did he disappeared and on instinct Hinata activated her jutsu, spinning uncontrollably. Wind gathered and blew, throwing away the smoke from Tenten's substitution.

Itachi retreated several steps back, hands up in a sign to release some chakra and expel the bugs clinging to him. Discomfort showed on his face as the critters sucked, and with a short burst of blue energy, the bugs dislodged the same time a rain of weaponry descended upon him. He leaped further back, snatching some shuriken and kunai from the barrage and flinging them back at Tenten in the trees and Hinata.

In the last moment the Hyuuga stopped spinning and bowed low to dodge the attack, unconsciously grabbing for the end of Tenten's whip nearby and then spinning again. She heard Kisame grunt in pain and felt blood sprinkle over her before water gushed through her jutsu and knocked her off balance.

She stumbled back, eyes widening when a shadow loomed over her and the giant white sword was dropping to crush her. Suddenly it all disappeared and she saw a flash of bright green before Kisame was pushed off into the canal, skidding across the water, maintaining control. Scrambling to her feet, Hinata witnessed a second, shorter green-clad man holding off Itachi who had pursued Tenten. Both missing-nin ended up side by side on the surface of the canal, Rock Lee and Gai-sensei standing guard on the paths.

In that moment of reprieve Hinata glanced around for Shino, and, unable to find him, concluded that the real him must have gone to report the battle whilst leaving a bug clone to fight. Sighing, she turned back to the stalemate, Tenten leaping out from the trees to beside Gai.

"Who are you?" the jounin asked, eyebrows drawn heavily over his eyes. He then straightened. "Itachi Uchiha. You must be feeling quite energetic and daring or foolish to come back to Konoha."

Kisame planted the tip of his blade into the water and leaned on it. "More of the greeting party? I'm touched."

"Don't be fooled, Kisame," Itachi warned. "Gai is a master of taijutsu."

"Heh." The taller missing-nin touched his chest. "No kidding. And I feel like I'm looking at clones," he said, swapping between the two taijutsu users with an amused grin.

"We can no longer stay. The Aburame was a clone. The real one has likely gone to alert the rest of Konoha."

Gai stepped forward. "Not so fast."

Lee huffed in agreement, arm up at the ready. Tenten was already gripping a tanto. "Gai-sensei!"

"Remember what I taught you, Lee. When fighting a skilled genjutsu-user, keep your eyes on their feet."

Lee nodded.

Kisame perked. "Lee? As in Rock Lee?" Said boy was thrown for a moment, and Tenten cast him an apologetic expression. Gai's turned a little more serious. The missing-nin laughed. "Can I have your autograph?"

If he wasn't the fabled stoic man he was, Hinata swore Itachi Uchiha would have sighed and dropped his shoulders in hidden embarrassment, but he remained unmoved. Lee and Gai blinked in confusion however, and Tenten had nearly lost her balance. Neither of the kunoichi had taken him seriously when he first said it, and they doubted he was to begin with.

"I… do not understand," Lee said, troubled.

"Perhaps another time," Itachi cut in. "Kisame."

In a blur of movement, water had sprung up, concealing them from sight. The same time Gai had darted into the wall of liquid, Lee following him, and only with her Byakugan could Hinata see what was going on. For a brief second all four were engaged in quick bursts of taijutsu before fire exploded and the missing-nin disappeared. Smoke and ash fell all over, and water drizzled away to reveal Gai and Lee a little singed but otherwise visibly alright.

Another jounin suddenly appeared, landing on the water, kneeling. "Gai! We are in pursuit!"

In the next instant both ninja were gone. Allowed to relax, Hinata and Tenten looked around to see all their belongings strewn about; in the water, in the trees, or broken. Clearly their day of relaxation hadn't gone according to plan.

* * *

><p>"Captain. This is Saru. Gai and Kyouko are on the way," the monkey-masked ANBU reported, skimming his way like the wind along the ground. At his side was another Black Ops member with a horse mask, her long hair tied securely with a senbon as a braid in a bun, yellow ribbons streaming behind her.<p>

Static sounded over the mic. "Copy."

"This is Tatsu. We have sight of the Akatsuki heading towards the gates. Nearest squad, intercept them," another voice spoke, crackling over the line.

"Roger that. There are four of us in that quadrant. We will hold them off til you get here," someone else reported.

"Copy. Mi," the Captain said. "What other support do you have at the walls?"

"We have eight chuunin and four jounin."

"Prepare them. Report battle progress."

"Roger that."

Saru lowered the volume of his mic, counting down the distance til he and Uma reached the gate. There was still a couple of kilometres to go, and each step felt far too long when they saw fire blaze above the forest in the distance. Uma grunted at the sight of it, pushing more chakra into her legs and forcing Saru to do the same thing.

"We should conserve our chakra," he told her.

She leapt to the branches and he followed. "What's the point if they're gone by the time we get there?"

"Those flames are still a distance from the gates. They must have reached resistance before then. Hold your horses." Uma growled at him and he chuckled in dry humour. "No pun intended."

"ANBU Base! This is U! We need a medic! I repeat, we need a med—!"

Static. Then silence.

"Alright," Saru affirmed. "Let's get swinging."

"Keep your puns to yourself!" Uma snapped, increasing her pace after Saru.

More fiery plumes rose a little further east, away from the direction of the gate; smoke still wafted from the last battlefield. Uma and Saru scaled the heights of the trees and stood atop them to see the fire rise high into the sky, pushed by a wind jutsu. Saru fingered his mic. "Captain. Saru. We've got two battlefields, too far apart to be the same two enemies. Orders, sir?" he asked.

There was a brief pause, where static reigned uncomfortably. A click. "Copy. They've got clones going. We've got eyes in the skies. Stand by for details."

"Roger that."

Uma fingered impatiently at leaves near her feet where she crouched, grinding the green into nothing. An explosion shook the trees nearby to them to the west, the complete opposite direction. The ANBU watched and waited for any more sign of battle, but it was evidently another clone distraction.

The radio crackled. "Saru! Head to the east!"

"Copy."

The two sped off, sprinting for only a couple of minutes before they breached the charred field. The trees and ground were scorched black, catches of fire shifting in the air. Wind blew harshly and the ANBU witnessed a jounin capturing endless folds of water in a tornado, sending it up and out of the spout in the form of rain.

One of the missing-nin kicked the jounin in the gut, evading the blow of a katana from the side, delivered by an ANBU. Kunai and shuriken spun out of nowhere, exploding into suddenly dozens more before the missing-nin set them all aflame and ashes sprinkled to the ground. Lightning dashed out of nowhere, zapping towards the second missing-nin which he dodged with ease, and shot towards Uma. Raising an arm, the lightning was swallowed into her palm and she slapped her hands together, forming handsigns and pulling them apart. Static formed then switched to wild electricity, and she shot it at the missing-nin.

Earth rose and blocked it, but it absorbed in, and she slammed her hands onto the wet ground, skidding to a halt, Saru beside her. Lightning burst and shot towards the wall, collecting and exploding it, forming a dome on the other side and trapping the missing-nin. Their eyes followed the streams and crackling of electricity surrounding them.

"Prison!" Saru ordered.

Another jounin and the katana-wielding ANBU nodded, performing the earth jutsu in synchronisation with Saru. The ground rose and lipped over the missing-nin, who watched as the shadows of the jutsu consumed them.

"Keep hold of it," he told Uma.

"Right."

It didn't hold for long. One of the missing-nin performed a jutsu that had wind lifting up from the ground, weakening the strength of the lightning as he increased his own power.

Saru cursed under his breath. "Who the fuck is this guy? Fire, Wind and Earth jutsu?"

"It's Itachi Uchiha!" the earth-using jounin shouted back.

"No wonder," the monkey-masked ANBU grunted. "Uma! Keep it together!"

"I'm trying!"

But Itachi's wind jutsu was startling strong, and suddenly another tornado rose high, breaking the lip of the earth shading over them. Uma gasped, pulling back her arm and panting as she gripped it. Static sparked all over.

Saru had barely taken his eyes off the missing-nin for but a second when fire erupted through the tornado, raining down around them in heavy plumes. A lick of it caught onto a standby chuunin, and he wailed in pain as it spread like water. He shrugged off his jacket, but it had already melted onto his skin, burning him.

"Medic!" a jounin ordered, and Saru watched as a shinobi darted out from the other side to the chuunin, skidding along the mud to his side.

The fire remained, the wind still spitting it out and forcing the soldiers below to dodge sporadically. Saru trained his eyes on the spot where the missing-nin were, and cursed loudly to himself to find them gone. He found a Hyuuga kunoichi nearby and ran to her, pulling her to her feet, only for her to cry out in pain and collapse before him. A white bone stuck out of her lower leg, blood coating the pale coloured pants she wore. Sweat beaded her entire face, and she was flushed.

Saru steadied her, moving her wavy dark hair from her wet cheeks. "Can you still use the Byakugan?" he asked firmly.

Swallowing in pain, she nodded. "As long as you don't move me, I should."

"Do it. Find them."

Through harsh breaths she whispered, "Byakugan," then gasped in pain a few seconds later, falling back onto her hands. "They're heading to the east still."

Saru went to his mic at his neck. "Captain. Saru. They're going for the east wall."

"Copy that!" He sounded like he was running. "Get the wounded out of range of that fire and straight to the hospital! Report in to the Hokage!"

"Roger that." He signalled the ninja in the charred field. The tornado had finally passed, but thick plumes littered the massive area; in trees and nearby buildings. "Get everybody out of here! Tora, clear out those houses before they burn down! I need a medic over here!" He rested the Hyuuga on the ground. "You'll get help soon."

She nodded weakly. Her skin was sickly white. Saru doubted she'd make it.

"Let me look," someone said, and Saru stepped aside for an Akimichi to settle down, inspecting the dying Hyuuga. His thick fingers hovered around her leg and checked her eyes, before pulling a pouch out of his pocket and pouring two blue pellets out into his palm. He shoved them into her mouth and forced her to swallow it. "They'll erase the pain temporarily and pump her with enough chakra until she's delivered to the hospital."

"Chouji!" another screamed. "Over here!"

The Akimichi sped off, and Saru did the same when reinforcements came to pick the Hyuuga up. He checked on Uma, whose use of arm was now returned. "Get these people to the hospital," he told her. "And report to the Hokage. I'll be heading on to the eastern wall."

"That isn't what the Captain ordered of you," she snapped.

"I have a hunch," he responded. "Now get going!"

He could practically hear her scowl, but she obeyed the order and gathered the ninja about the darkened area. Saru was gone, heading to the east. He could hear the sounds of accumulating combat when suddenly the ground shook with a heavy explosion, and black fire rose, throwing rock high into the air. Screams sounded, and he pushed his pace.

He reached the wall, momentarily faulting at the damage. Black fire smothered the area in random chunks. Dead bodies were littered here and there, and wounded were screaming or being pulled out from under the collections of rock, unconscious. The wall had been blown apart, smeared with the black flames, revealing the forest behind through thick smoke. Ninja were sprinting about it like darts, reporting to commanders everywhere, and others tried to put the fire out with water jutsu but were failing.

Saru headed to his Captain atop the wall, passing Asuma kneeling by a genin and hearing him tell the kid that he deserved becoming a chuunin. Gai was conversing with Captain, as well as Raido and two other ANBU waiting behind them. He settled in next to them.

"—tracking team to follow them. We've wounded them, and can find out where they're heading, but we have to be quick. We'll need the fastest," Captain said. "Gai, I'll take responsibility for you if you'll join my ANBU in pursuit of the enemy."

He bowed. "It would an honour."

"We'll need a medic. Ne, find one and report back." The ANBU left. "Saru, since you're here you will be the commander of the pursuit squad. Gai, Ne and a medic will be under your charge. Change to long-range frequency until out of range and then communicate with your summons. As soon as Ne returns, head straight out."

"Understood."

* * *

><p>Kisame groaned as he lifted Samehada off his broad shoulders and set the live weapon against a rock. He sat down beside it, and with a sharp shake of his head he cracked his neck and sighed, hunching. Itachi silently walked by, perching cross-legged on a flatter stone across from the Mist-nin, leaning against a tall rock.<p>

It went unsaid what had happened. Besides the fact that they couldn't locate the kyuubi jinchuuriki, Konoha was suspiciously prepared for their arrival. The moment they fled the scene at the canals it was like every able-bodied ninja had been in pursuit no matter where they went or what distractions they tossed out. Itachi had to use Amaterasu to just get the hell out, as the eastern wall had become a fortress.

It was like they had been expecting them. And it had taken them two days to shake the pursuit team off and hide their tracks. Bleeding wounds had since healed over, leaving scabs that'd wither to a scar in time. At last they could breathe.

Suddenly the ground nearby to them churned, but they both remained calm as a long, clamped pincer sprouted, then parted to reveal a black and white body, yellow eyes flashing with delight. Zetsu tilted his head, inspecting them. "**News is you nearly got roasted**," he said. "**And you look it**. Well, from the sound of it, Konoha was quite prepared. You do have to give them credit."

Kisame huffed in amusement. "Too prepared."

"Leader has already heard of it. He thinks it might be Orochimaru's doing. His failed attempt at the village has made them tighten their forces and be more wary for new visitors," the plant-man answered. "**This is gonna be a huge bother**. Oh, don't say that. Keep positive. **Shut up**."

Itachi opened his eyes, revealing black. "Is there a reason why you have come, Zetsu?"

He grinned. "It seems Hidan and Kakuzu has found your jinchuuriki, Itachi. He's in Suna. **You better take advantage of this opportunity, you hear?** Don't be so rude."

Kisame's eyes hopped between both sides of the mutated Akatsuki member as they bickered. He chuckled, turning to Itachi. "Eyes alright?"

Itachi rose to his feet, staring into the distance to the west. From his vantage point he could see the eastern wall of Konoha still up in flames, but beyond that, in the far distance, was a faint row of mountains.

He buttoned up his cloak. "By the time we meet the jinchuuriki, my eyes will be fine."


	20. To The Dark

_I have no excuse. :( And just in case everyone has forgotten: no, I don't own Naruto. _

_I do just want to say, though, that I'm surprised Rainy Days still garners attention. Guys. Guise. You're makin' me blush. *fwaps* Stop it. :) No, not really. Seriously. Thank you. You have been fantastic._

_Enjoy?_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER TWENTY—<br>**_To The Dark_

* * *

><p>The coming evening had Team Seven ready to depart. It had taken nearly five days for the council to come to a decision, and Jiraiya was glad for it when he informed the team that they could leave later that night. However he moaned about the fact he had to remain with the civilian diplomats until further notice.<p>

At the Sunagakure gates, Sakura looked out of the vast expanse of the desert. The sun fading down behind the horizon set the sand aglow with warm colours of red, orange, yellow, and then a white, creating so many sparkles it was like they were stepping into a land of gems. A cool breeze met them, and she turned back around to gaze up at the towering walls of the village. She hadn't paid proper attention to how big the place was when they first entered, but now she soaked it in.

Layers of stone reached high into the sky, where rows of ninja were stationed with their hawk eyes set about everywhere, covering all angles of the seemingly endless golden land. She could see a torch being brought about to light the braziers for the night, and on ground level, through the narrow tunnel leading straight into the village, she could see someone else doing the same.

The Sand Siblings, Jiraiya and the two civilian diplomats came to bid them farewell, and Sakura got her last chance to see Gaara. He stood taller, and didn't look as hung over as he sort of had when they spoke earlier that day. He did, however, lean a little closer to Temari beside him, as if drawing comfort from her presence.

Apparently Sakura held her gaze too long, as soon she was looking into his sea-green eyes and then he was approaching her. Judging by his expression, though it was always very slight when it came to him, he had something he wanted to talk about but hesitated to begin. Sakura prodded him by crossing her arms in a display of moodiness and saying, "I can't stay here forever, you know?"

His eyes narrowed. "You have a quite... informal way of speaking to those around you."

Sakura bowed her head like a kicked puppy. "Part of that is me, the other part is habit."

"It's a habit to treat those around you with disrespect?"

She flinched, glaring. "No, it's a habit for me to treat those around me as friends."

He stared. She wondered what was going through his mind.

"Perhaps... someday we can be more than friends," he suggested monotonously.

"Ah!" Sakura held up her hands, fighting back the heat rising to her cheeks. "When I told you about pick-up lines or flirting, I didn't mean to try them out on me."

Gaara shrugged in a way that somehow told Sakura he enjoyed saying that far too much and was actually quite happy with himself. "I was unaware of this other meaning," he explained. "But, as you said, maybe I am a natural; like Sasuke."

Sakura felt like digging a hole and burying herself in it when he said that, even more so when Sasuke peered in their direction at the sound of his name. She settled with a gentle face-palm and shake of her head.

She wished she hadn't used Sasuke as an example of someone who naturally did or said things that made females swoon when she was explaining 'dating' to Gaara earlier that day. Having to further clarify that she was not attracted to the Uchiha romantically was one of the hardest things to do, especially since Gaara didn't believe her. And the fact that the Sand-nin did seem proud of the fact that he could quite possibly be a future lady-killer (not literally, of course), Sakura wondered if she had accidentally set on Sunagakure something bigger than they could handle; especially his siblings.

Being blamed for corrupting their little brother was something that amused and scared Sakura, and she fought back a smile as she looked away from both of them blinking at her expression in confusion.

Sakura awkwardly patted Gaara's shoulder. He watched her with hawk-eyes. "Just... promise me you won't grow up too fast, okay? The world will need to catch up."

He frowned. "What...?"

_He's actually kind of cute confused,_ she thought, tapping him a final time and saying goodbye. She ignored how Kankuro was giving Gaara a friendly elbow nudge and a voiced "wink wink" behind her back. She stopped by Sasuke who was waiting for everyone to say everything necessary, and looked in the opposite direction to avoid his scrutinising look.

"Sakura, tell me you didn't..." he began.

She turned to him, eyeing him in confusion. "Didn't what? I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasuke's expression was one she thought she'd only see in dreams. Ambivalence was certainly wonderful. "You're not... getting a boyfriend, are you?" And his voice; his voice conveyed the myriad of emotions that had flashed over his face; too many to name.

The problem was how Sakura should react. There were so many ways, and a huge part of her wanted to tease the Uchiha even further, because he had shrunk to his proper adolescent self with just a simple expression and question.

"What's stopping me?" she asked innocently.

Sasuke huffed in shock, turning away from Sakura and missing the gleeful smile that appeared on her lips. He really didn't notice that she hadn't said it was Gaara specifically, nor when - if ever - she was getting one. She honestly hadn't even thought about dating, but, boy, was it fun to tease Sasuke. Except that he might let Naruto know, and Naruto, being Naruto, would let everyone know, and then - and then Sunagakure might find out and it'd be a huge pain to explain that she was just joking!

Fear drenched her and she threw an arm around her dark-haired teammate, pulling him back in and smiling awkwardly. "Hey, Sasuke! You didn't take me seriously, did you? I only have eyes for you!" She internally cringed. _Laying it on a bit thick there._

To her surprise, Sasuke sighed heavily. "A shame. I was ready to give you away and everything."

Sakura pushed him, sending him stumbling. "That would be my dad's job, idiot. You and Naruto would be lucky to be even invited to the service!"

"So we'll have no part in your wedding?" he asked, managing to keep a straight face despite the words coming out of his mouth.

"Not unless you're my Bridesmaids."

"What! Sasuke's gonna be your Bridesmaid?!" Naruto burst out.

"Of all times..." Sasuke muttered, rolling his eyes and turning away from the few people watching them in amusement. To his annoyance, Sakura didn't even deny it.

After that, it wasn't long before they left, the sun at their backs.

Their journey to the dividing mountains didn't take as long as it had in the company of the convoy, so by dawn the next day the team entered the Land of Rivers and took this time to finally take camp and rest. It was the way Kakashi said there was a lot to do on the way home that made all three genin eat and go to sleep as soon as possible. At midday he roused them from their sleep and let them prepare themselves before explaining that their journey back would be extended on the count of more training.

He had wanted to take advantage of the wildlife outside of Konoha to test them and improve their skills in an environment that was not home. Sasuke and Naruto looked positively thrilled at this prospect, and Sakura was curious to see what exactly he had planned on their schedule.

Kakashi began with a simple test of escaping danger. The next village was a four hour run away, and all three genin had to get there and avoid being captured by Kakashi until they booked a hotel and claimed sanctuary. This meant using the environment to their advantage, blending in, disguising themselves. It was going to be hard, and they knew it.

At one o'clock, sharp, he gave his students a twenty second head start. They sped into the trees, leaping from branch to branch close together. Plans were quickly made to throw their sensei off their scent, but it didn't take long for Kakashi to catch up to them, and it was then they learned he wasn't pulling any punches.

He was fast and brutal in capturing them, sparing them no luxuries as he sicked his dogs on them too to hunt them down. He hadn't held back at all, and with startling satisfaction, all three genin understood that he was taking them seriously as ninja. From then on they were to learn hard and fast or fall behind.

They walked the rest of the way to the village, but only after Kakashi had given them all small tasks to do along the way, and if necessary, for the rest of the journey. He turned to Sasuke first and stated that he was going to divide his time with him and Sakura; with Sasuke it was pointers for the Sharingan, plus more. He started another game only for the Uchiha when they were on the move. To test how acutely he could predict movements with his Sharingan and thus increase its performance, Kakashi would be tossing kunai and shuriken at random times at Naruto and Sakura, and Sasuke had to catch them.

Naruto was perturbed by this, not trusting the Uchiha to grab them in time. But Kakashi had faith, and said that it would therefore also keep them on their toes in case Sasuke ever did miss.

Aside from that, Kakashi gave Sasuke a few other small exercises that he whispered to him to. At the narrowed eyes from both Naruto and Sakura, he shrugged, stating that every ninja needed their ace.

Naruto was simple. He was given a water balloon and told to make it burst with only his chakra, Kakashi proceeding to show him how with his own. As soon as it popped, Naruto quickly set to work, not noticing how vague the jounin was.

When it came to Sakura he declared that she'd be upping her genjutsu skills. Medical ninjutsu was not his forte, and so she had to train further with it in her spare time and with books, considering she had learned most – if not all – she could from Tsuande in her past life. Actively practising all of said techniques was not quite possible yet, as her body still had to grow and there were some jutsu that needed more from her than she could provide, but she knew the theory and could get a definite and positive headstart again, as well as perfecting what she already knew; in other words, repetitive jutsu and muscle exercises.

He said that when Sasuke was busy with his own private training that he would become Sakura's guinea pig to test the strength of the illusions she'd cast. He'd dispel them without the aid of the Sharingan, and then inflict the same upon her. He encouraged that she and Sasuke also train together with genjutsu.

For the next two days they wandered in and out of villages, taking breaks when necessary – and when forced by Kakashi so that they still had strength for any ambushes – and overall focusing on what their sensei suggested. Naruto had managed to go to the next step of his training, growling at Kakashi that it better all be worth it at the end when he found it being much harder than before with a rubber ball.

Sasuke was getting faster at catching weaponry being tossed at his teammates, and Kakashi got progressively harder too, throwing more frequently, then in greater numbers, then in traps none of the genin had even seen him set. Naruto had begun to trust him a bit more, unlike the first time they set off and chewed Sasuke out for letting him get nicked by a kunai. His private training wasn't as well known, but Naruto and Sakura had seen him holding a stick at one point and glaring at it like he was trying to burn it to a crisp for some unspeakable crime it had committed unto him.

Sakura was at ease with her own simple training, often sitting and centring her attention on maintaining the few earth jutsu she knew to increase their performance, and other times expanding the use of the Mystical Palm Technique on thin air. Occasionally she and Sasuke would have a small genjutsu war, although the first time had gone terribly. A panic attack nearly seized her when he cast his jutsu upon her and an image of the old him flashed across her mind; she had almost struck him down in reflex. Luckily she didn't, and a simple twitch of her hand was all the evidence.

Not long later they reached a small village two days from Konoha. Its main bedding establishment was a combined hotel and hot spring garden that had Naruto grinning in excitement the entire time they booked for a room and called dibs on a bed in their shared room. Kakashi left them to their spare time with nary a word, other than a simple recommendation to take this time off, but they didn't listen as they continued with their tasks; Sasuke and Sakura dabbled with their genjutsu together again.

It was Naruto that startled the two genjutsu users out of their practice, by slamming the rubber ball hard against the wooden floor. It bounced off, shooting at Sasuke who leaned back calmly and caught it.

"What's wrong, loser? Given up?" he taunted.

Naruto growled. "You've got it easy. At least you _know_ what you're doing. I have no idea where this is leading me!" He grabbed his head in frustration and tussled his locks.

"Kakashi knows what he's doing," the Uchiha answered. "Sakura. Again."

Sakura groaned out loud and dropped back into her pillow. "No more!" she cried.

"Ha! She's getting tired of looking at _that_ face all day!" Naruto said, pointing at Sasuke with a cheeky grin.

Sasuke glowered. "Hn."

The blond cackled in delight. "He had no comeback! I am the Awesome!"

"Yes, you are. Our very own Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Ninja," Sakura recited with a smile.

"Don't encourage him, Sakura."

She stuck her tongue at the Uchiha. He rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes I miss the days you would do anything I said. Well, nearly anything."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I thought we already established how glad you were that I'm not."

"Aa."

"Hey, hey!" Naruto dropped down on the floor beside them from his bed, a deck of cards in hand and a Cheshire grin on his lips. "A card game? Please?"

"There is a festival going on about now," Sakura recalled. "Don't you want to go to that?"

Naruto's joy dropped. "But-but… I haven't beaten you guys at this game yet! Come on, just one round and then we'll check it out. And get dinner while we're at it."

He received two similar sounding 'fines', and with an excited whoop spun back around to grab his pillow and stuff it between his legs to settle.

"Bring it on, you losers!"

* * *

><p>Naruto grumbled, slapping down a card and hissing when Sasuke calmly took it. "This is so lame!" he cried. "And what is Kakashi-sensei even doing out there?"<p>

"It's Kakashi," Sasuke said as if it was the answer to everything. He tapped the corner of two of his cards in thought before discarding one. Sakura sighed in disappointment.

"I didn't realise he was like Pervy-Sage," he muttered. "Sure, Kakashi-sensei reads his books, but I doubt he's that perverted to go peeking in at naked girls. What's so interesting about them anyway?!"

Both of his teammates ignored him. Sakura placed a card down.

Naruto groaned loudly and slammed his head on the floor loudly. "Sakura," he whined. "Give me something I need!"

Sasuke smirked.

The hyperactive boy huffed, the wind shuffling some cards across the table. "I'm still on lousy number two," he said, taking another look of his cards. A knock sounded, and Sakura put down her hand to answer it.

"You're such a loser," Sasuke told him. He then slapped Naruto's hand when he tried to peek at Sakura's cards, making the boy yelp in surprise.

Sakura shook her head as she opened the door and then—instinctively punched the person there, slamming the door shut. Red clouds on black pulsed in her mind, and she spun around, eyes wide. Sasuke and Naruto had risen, confusion on their faces.

"Run," she whispered.

Cards were abandoned as all three leapt for their ninja gear and slipped through the apartment window just as the door was knocked off its hinges. They landed on a tiled roof a floor down, and Sakura sprinted to the end, looking back to check the boys were in tow before jumping up into some power lines leading towards a larger, circular building. They hopped and jumped from roof to roof, ignoring demands for them to get down, until eventually they hit the main street and landed on the ground, submerging with the crowd of a late November festival.

Sakura pulled her hair into a tight bun and clipped her fringe back before changing the colour with a simple henge. When she turned, Naruto and Sasuke had taken off their headbands and the former had changed the colour of his hair to black.

Silently they filtered in properly with the thickening crowd, keeping tabs on each other until they reached the largest open area in the village. There were more people here than anywhere else, and in such a small amount of space it made moving through them all somewhat difficult. It was so thick that it was nearly hard to breathe, and it was loud, the air filled with noises of screaming children, idle chatter, and sweet and savoury smells of the stall treats. They met at a nearby collapsible store selling noodles, the red flaps of the building hiding most of their body as they sat side by side at the counter.

"What's going on, Sakura?" Sasuke asked in a whisper.

Naruto ordered a large meal for all of them to share, a concerned look in his eyes. Sakura was sweating in fear, staring ahead at the back wall of the store that showcased all the cuisines the restaurant made. She had no idea what to do. She had honestly thought that they would have evaded the Akatsuki by now, but apparently she was wrong.

She was fully aware of her abilities and that of her teammates, but she wondered if they could even be able to take them on long enough for Kakashi to assist or – or something! The biggest problem was Sasuke, though. She hadn't seen their faces, but her gut told her it was Kisame and Itachi, and to be honest, she did not want to risk it.

Finally turning to her worried teammates, she realised she was at a loss of how to explain the situation. They were staring at her expectantly, Naruto looking like he was ready to shake it out of her.

"Missing-nin," she said eventually.

"How did they know we were there?" Naruto asked, tapping his chopsticks on the bench.

Sasuke grabbed his own wooden utensils. "I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry. Most missing-nin probably won't engage with Village Ninja without first gauging them, so you're right in thinking that they had our room in mind. If they thought it was empty, they wouldn't have knocked."

"Maybe we'd have been able to take them head on!" Naruto said.

"No!" she half shouted, surprising both of her teammates. "I… I… I had a bad feeling about them."

Naruto tutted. "You worry too easily, Sakura."

"I don't want to bite off more than I can chew," she reasoned.

"I guess that makes sense…" the blond said unsurely, nodding in thanks to the chef as their food was delivered.

Sakura sighed. If she didn't tell them who it was and they did end up engaging them in combat, then Sasuke would be furious she didn't tell him. If she did tell then who knows how he would react, and she couldn't rely on the hope that if she didn't tell them that they'd never meet the missing-nin again soon.

Casting her eyes over her shoulders, there was one thing for sure she knew. If they stayed in a crowded area, they shouldn't coerce them into a fight. Then again…

She looked at Sasuke filling his mouth with hot noodles, Naruto slurping them in haste next to him.

If Itachi showed his face at all, then Sasuke might just follow him into an open area willingly.

"Shakuwa!" Naruto shouted through a full mouth. "'Avshome!"

To satisfy him she shovelled one load into her mouth and chewed slowly, feeling a little sick to her stomach when she swallowed. It was the fear of Sasuke leaving that she realised was scaring her the most, not fighting them. She was confident in her abilities but the circumstances…

A minute later and the large plate was clean, Naruto leaning back in his stool and grinning with satisfaction. "Who's paying anyway?" he asked, looking between his teammates as he patted his belly.

"I will."

Sakura froze at the voice, and then a black-sleeved hand moved past her head and Sasuke's to put down a few notes. She watched with wide eyes as it dawned on Sasuke who exactly was standing behind him, and with an enraged glare sent in her direction, he stood sharply, only to have another hand shove him back down into his chair. Naruto was lost. Sasuke was shivering in barely controlled fury.

"It's been a long time, little brother."

He twinged, fingers snapping his chopsticks. Naruto's eyes widened as they rested on the tall, black-haired man standing behind them. "'Little brother'?" he whispered to himself. Sakura couldn't tear her gaze from her hands folded on the counter.

The elder brother's hand tightened slightly around Sasuke's shoulder. "I wouldn't do that," he warned. "There are a lot of people around, you see, and I'm sure you don't want to harm all of them."

Sasuke's finger nails were digging into the wood now, curling up into his palms. "Itachi," he snarled.

"Sasuke. Now that greetings have been exchanged, let's take a walk. Shall we?"

He let go of his shoulder and instantly Sasuke shot to his feet, pushing aside his chair to follow after his brother already walking under the flaps. Naruto, though horribly confused, instinctively raced his teammate, and after unclenching her hands, Sakura did the same, splitting her attention on Kisame who appeared out of nowhere behind them and the two Uchiha brothers.

She could see Sasuke's hands clenching and unclenching and his pace hastening as they weaved through the thick crowd and then eventually trailed down an alley way. Sakura's heart was pounding, knowing that she had been right in Itachi luring his brother out with a prospect of fighting him, and the further they got from all the noise, the faster her heart ran.

It was suddenly colder when they reached outskirts, where some stone construction work was going on to extend the village. Sakura instantly surveyed the area, but as soon as she entered the area, Sasuke attacked, sweeping up beside his brother with his special black glove ablaze. Fire nicked Itachi's cloak when he dodged then kneed Sasuke in the stomach, grabbing him by the collar and smashing him headfirst into the wall. He bent down beside him, near his ear, and whispered a few words that Sakura couldn't hear.

She did feel Naruto rise in chakra, and instantly grabbed his hand. Kisame behind them moved.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" Naruto hissed, tearing his arm from hers.

"Don't," she pleaded, but the boy had already put his hands together and blue chakra coated him, lighting up the dark street. Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, Sakura spun around just as Samehada was coming down, and with startling speed punched Kisame in the stomach.

He crashed into another wall, Samehada dropping from his grip, and Sakura turned to see that Itachi had now risen to his full height. His eyes turned red.

"Sharingan, Naruto!" she shouted, looking at the Uchiha's feet.

"I know, I know!"

Sasuke flailed wildly, but with eerie ease Itachi twisted his brother's arm behind over his back. The younger stopped moving.

_There's no stopping it now,_ Sakura thought to herself, slipping on her gloves. "You ready, Naruto?"

"Hell yeah."

Clones suddenly swarmed the immediate area and launched upon both missing-nin. Kisame dodged, engaging in hand-to-hand until he could reach for his blade, but Sakura was closer. Recalling the details of the large weapon, she knew she couldn't pick it up, but with a furious kick she sent it flying into the forest. The look she received from the blue missing-nin was livid, and yet instead of igniting the pumping fear in her chest, exhilaration flooded her.

Naruto kept him busy with his clones, and Sakura could see Kisame's budding anger the more he had to destroy them. His sharp teeth were bared and gritted, and his taijutsu speed was increasing rapidly.

Itachi was forced to spring away when the clones ascended on him, setting a furious Sasuke free who massaged his neck and activated his Sharingan. Itachi evaded then kicked a Naruto clone, punching one coming from the side then flipping over another in the rear, tripping it into two others advancing. Each exploded into smoke, and more kept coming.

Sakura kept her sights on the real Naruto to protect him as Kisame swung recklessly. Even without his signature weapon it was difficult to get close to him, and the longer they were separated the more frustrated his swings got until eventually he clapped his hands together and exploded into water. She leapt back onto a construction wall, watching as multiple Naruto clones began bursting, shrouding the area with smoke that she lost sight of the real him until she realised that he had escaped the explosion and wasn't there.

Fire spun out from the smoke and Sasuke propelled out from the mist, spinning in the air to land squarely on the wall beside her. His hair was singed, wisps of smoke disappearing into the night air. His red eyes snapped to her. "You tell Naruto that you both stay out of this fight. You understand?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "By all means, take on both of them by yourself."

"Don't get smart, Sakura. You two handle the big guy but Itachi is mine!"

"And your life is mine, so take better care of it!" she shot back. His response was an aggravated growl before he disappeared. A moment later and she saw Kisame come back together through the smoke. With a short grunt, Sakura jumped back and kicked the wall. It sailed across the ground and smashed into the taller missing-nin, crushing him against the opposing building.

She heard a roar and stone exploded, and instead of seeing a furious Kisame, his lips were pulled back in a tight smile of amusement. Sakura shifted a foot back and exhaled, steeling herself for the next few minutes. He wasn't going to underestimate her – or any of them – now; she could see him reach that conclusion in his eyes, in that flashing eagerness.

He took a step, another, and then he started for her. Sakura clenched a fist and kicked the ground, and the earth rose and spread out like a wave, backed by a sudden gust of wind that came from behind. She breathed in relief at Naruto's signature move, but it was quickly snuffed when Kisame rose above it all on a surge of water. The wave arced and then hit the ground, water rushing towards her. She jumped back and rebounded against a wall, flying above Kisame and witnessing suddenly twenty figures explode from beneath him. The Naruto's startled him and he slaughtered three on instinct before they submerged him.

Sakura, for that split second, darted back, coming up behind the shark-man and raising a fist. She swung it down towards his back as he grappled with the Naruto's when a shuriken whizzed out of nowhere and slashed across her face. She gasped, blood stinging her eyes, and she fell to the side, hitting the ground hard.

"Sakura!" Naruto yelled.

She shifted to all-fours, a hand to the slash, the blood slipping through her fingers. Her vision distorted.

"Sakura, move!"

On instinct she rolled out of the way just before Samehada destroyed the ground beside her (when had he gotten his weapon back?) Through one blurry eye she could see the blue man towering over her, and the fear reared its head at last when she witnessed his excited smile stretch to a maddening grin.

He faulted, and suddenly catapulted into her. Both of them went flying, smashing into the walls and then rolling apart. Sakura coughed and wheezed as she rose to her knees, wincing when her lungs pinched with the inhalation. Her sight was still blurry, but she could see Kisame stirring and rising back to his feet, and quickly she did the same.

_As a medic I'm only supposed to be support, and at worse, back up the fighters. But Kisame... he's gunning for me. He knows that he has to take me out first._ Her eyes flickered to Sasuke._ If we remain separated then this won't end well._

She met Naruto's eyes and tilted her head to the Uchiha brothers. A curt nod and she left Kisame behind, sprinting towards Sasuke. Several Naruto clones bombarded the brothers, and there was a cry of frustration from someone when orange submerged them. Smoke clouded and Sakura ploughed through, punching wildly, recklessly, stupidly, at the nearest solid body and once her fist sunk into flesh she sent the person away.

She watched through the thinning smoke and her teary eyes to see Itachi skid to a halt, his hand raking the ground to keep his balance. He shook his head, shaking off the hit that rattled his senses, and then just as he was raising his head, red glinting through dark tresses, her arm was grabbed and she twisted, looking into Sharingan eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sasuke screamed. His eye was swollen, his lips and cheeks bleeding from cuts, and his hair was singed. In comparison, Itachi was untouched.

Sakura opened her mouth to retort, brow furrowing, but Naruto barrelled through, grabbing the Uchiha by his collar and shoving him, making the smoke swirl away in a hurry. "We're trying to save our asses, you prick!" he shot back. "And we can't do that if we're split! We're a team, remember?!"

Sasuke growled. His teeth were bared. His eyes flickered over their faces, but he said nothing, instead turning his attention back to Itachi, who was now joined by a smiling Kisame. With the lull in the battle, Sakura realised she was panting for breath, and could hear the same for the others. She pressed her fingers to the cut above her eyes and winced, streaming enough chakra into her skin to staunch the bleeding. She needed the energy for the fight.

"This is personal," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto glanced at him in disbelief. "Have you even been paying attention? You're trying to kill your brother, and even I can see that none of us are ready for these guys."

"That's never stopped you in the past." Sasuke scowled.

"In the past we had teamwork. We didn't need to kill; just survive. Now you're fighting to kill. And that's something I can't respect."

Sakura fought the smile emerging on her face, but felt it slip from her face at Sasuke's next words.

"Stow that 'Ninja Way' crap, Naruto."

The blond turned to his teammate, fists clenched. "You never would have gotten this far if you didn't believe it all."

"I got this far because I'm an Uchiha!"

She couldn't see Naruto's expression, but knew exactly what he was thinking, what he was feeling, and at the same time she felt a similar sense of dread at where this was going. Her senses tingled with the knowledge that Itachi and Kisame were letting this argument drive them apart, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

"Fine," Naruto suddenly spat, spinning on his heel. Sakura began panicking. "We'll let you deal with them by yourself." And he started to walk away.

"Naruto!" Sakura called, worry clenching at her insides. "We can't abandon a teammate. You know that. You told us that. You _taught_ us that."

"He's an Uchiha, Sakura. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Confusion trickled in, and she frowned at the blond's back. She couldn't understand why he was saying such things. Was he simply just trying to prove a point? Forcing Sasuke to learn the hard way that teamwork was necessary? After everything they had done together, experienced, this is what they really thought? What will really be? It wasn't right. Something wasn't right.

"He's right, Sakura. I will be fine," Sasuke told her. She couldn't believe her ears. "I don't need your help. I don't need you or him or Kakashi at all. You'll just get in the way."

Clarity hit her, and then fury, and her insides and body coiled like a snake ready to spring and she looked over her shoulder at Itachi Uchiha watching her placidly. "Kai," she whispered.

The Genjutsu whirled away in a stream of garbled words and colours and she landed in reality hard, panting for breath, stinging eyes instantly soaking in her surroundings. She smelled brimstone and smoke, tilled earth, salt water and the odd odour of something burning; a burn from electricity.

The next she heard was Sasuke's wail and she found him, trapped behind Itachi and Kisame gripping a dark red shoulder, blood spreading like spilled water. Smoke wisped from Itachi's sleeve, and she saw more red liquid sliding down his left arm and dripping from his fingers. His eyes were on her, and in a moment of fear she stumbled back further til she found Naruto looking torn between her and Sasuke.

It took her a few seconds to make sense of what she was seeing, smelling and hearing. Sasuke had used Chidori and somehow, she had no idea how unless Naruto aided him, managed to swipe his brother, but then Samehada got him. She could see his shredded clothes on the ground, the blue residue of the stolen chakra dispersing from his wounds.

She needed to help him. She needed to. That wound looked dire. He could bleed out in minutes if she didn't get there in time.

A single step, however, and Kakashi pelted in out of nowhere, erupted into smoke from an attack she didn't see, and suddenly his dogs burst from the ground, clamping their jaws tightly around the Akatsuki. Itachi melted into water and she heard Kakashi scream her name before a plume of fire spiralled towards her. She darted back, senses struggling to catch up to her instincts, and then plunged to her left, evading a swipe from a kunai.

She watched Itachi's feet as he moved, dodging a few more attacks until he disappeared and pain exploded in her back and she sailed forward. She gasped, anticipating another assault from the right and managing to blindly punch in that direction, only for her wrist to be caught and his hand to grab at her throat, lifting her off the ground. She groaned in pain.

_He'd been going easy,_ Sakura realised as she struggled, eyes hovering at his feet.

He was so close she could smell him; ash, sweat and pine. And blood.

Water.

Stone.

Itachi morphed slowly into Sasuke, older, roguish, dark eyes wide with gleeful intent narrowed solely on her struggling. His lips, smeared with dirt and blood, pressed tight together, ends pull back into an excited smirk that sent fear skyrocketing in Sakura's chest. His hands, calloused from so many years, this time gripped tightly around her exposed neck, so that she could feel every single scar he had on his fingers against her skin.

Her heart pounded as she watched this Sasuke hold up the kunai that was in her grasp, and then grin, bearing his teeth and chuckling, his fingers clenching that little bit tighter around her windpipe. She gasped, clawing at his covered wrists, feeling herself go light-headed but unable to tear her sight from this psychotic Sasuke; so wild and miserable and lost and lonely and a complete fool.

"Nice try," he whispered.

_No. Please, no_. "Sasuke, don't," she pleaded, vision blurring from tears.

And then he swung, and Sakura could remember the gust of wind from that moment when Naruto had saved her, but this time her eyes focused back in on the present, on Itachi still holding her up by the throat. Air was thin, harder to breathe when her chest burned with the urge to sob.

Just a memory.

However the memory had shaken her. So sudden and intense was its appearance that maintaining control of her chakra as oxygen vacated her was so much harder than it should be. The emotions she felt in that old memory of hers – of the fear of her team splitting that Itachi had unintentionally uncovered – surged through her again and again and again without abandon, showing the same images of her teammate and stopping her attempt at concentrating on the matter at hand.

It all became harder when Itachi's thumb tensed around her jugular. For a brief moment Sakura thought she might've been able focus enough again, but then darkness came up and smothered her.


	21. Interrogation

_Aww, guys! "Group hug! Group hug!" :D Thank you. Reached 1000 alerts, which is lovely even though a lot of you are probably no longer interested in this story. Thanks regardless. :)_

_Oh, and uh... I totally bullshitted my way through a few medical details in this chapter. Sorry. :( _

_But enjoy? :3_

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><p>—<strong>CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE—<br>**_Interrogation_

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><p>Waking up was like both a horribly real nightmare and a breathtaking miracle. When the darkness had swarmed her, her last thoughts were of Sasuke, were of pain, and then the frightening idea that she was dying. Or at least she was.<p>

She thought she was.

A hard coughing fit was the first reminder that she was in fact alive, and for a moment, as she let her hoarse throat relax and she breathed in gently, she revelled in the fact that there was truly nothing sweeter than smelling fresh grass – or anything, for that matter – the instant you realised that your heart was still beating. However, her moment of reprieve was cut brutally short the second she saw someone move to her side, and in that second she took in everything else.

The fading sun, the chilly air of the falling day, her bound hands and ankles.

Sakura sat up, heart suddenly racing at the sight of the thick rope, stomach twisting. She had no chakra either. And there was no reason she'd have no chakra, unless…

"Morning," Kisame greeted with a grin. Samehada rested alongside her body, inching towards her excitedly like a kid to candy to steal more.

And then she twisted and threw up, ignoring the prickles rising on her neck indicating that she was being watched. She spat out the bile that clung in her mouth and dry-retched after, coughing and gagging at the acrid acidic taste sticking to her tongue. Just the taste of it made her stomach lurch uncomfortably again.

A bottle was thrust into her view, but she knew who it was passing it to her and stubbornly she shoved it away with both hands, focusing on maintaining her senses and calm the hell down; it was difficult. She couldn't comprehend the fact that she was actually in the hands of the enemy, and not just any enemy, but the Akatsuki.

Why? Why did they capture her alive? What had happened after she blacked out? And what about the rest of her team? Sasuke had been badly wounded, and even with Naruto and Kakashi there to find someone to heal him – if there was anybody who could in the area – she couldn't help the worry that he might still not make it.

There was nothing she could do though, and she settled back properly to convince herself thoroughly of this thought. She was captured, miles away from him, and there was nothing she could do from here to get there in time, so she just had to have faith. Besides, she was growing certain that she was in more trouble than Sasuke was.

Kisame nudged her with his bottle of water again. "Drink. It's not poisoned. We need you alive and – well, relatively healthy; so I suppose it could be."

It took strength to speak through the awful taste in her mouth. "What do you want?" She cringed as she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her coat.

"We know you know about us," he stated.

A beat.

"You're in the Bingo Book. How could I not?"

Kisame's laugh caught Sakura off guard. "Quick thinker," he complimented. His smile didn't waver. "Then if you know us, then you _know_ us. Do you really think we didn't notice that you recognised us?" His chuckled deepened. "That type of reaction was pure instinct; to run and get away."

Sakura said nothing. Sweat beaded her brow and she met his eyes for the first time. There was nothing she could say. They knew what they saw, and she wouldn't be able to think of a believable explanation in time. Anything she'd say would be obviously false.

Her jaw hurt from clenching it tightly in frustration. Kisame seemed satisfied with her lack of a reaction now.

"The Akatsuki is new," someone else said.

Sakura flinched, forgetting that Itachi Uchiha still had to be around. Just the reminder that he was there chilled her to the bone more, that the man who starred in a bloody event of Konoha's history – and was the one who caused it – was sitting not far from her. She couldn't see him, though, and for that she was glad.

He continued. "No one should know about us, much less connect us with this uniform. So the question is: what else do you know?"

"You're a smart, young girl, aren't you?" Kisame mused, grabbing Samehada and pulling him away. The irritation in her body that she didn't even know was there disappeared. "Strong, too. Good chakra control to be able to punch and break the ground like that. I was getting a little annoyed with how often you managed to hit me." He grunted. "It seems the Leaf Village are still producing fine ninja, Itachi. Three times in two weeks we've been faced with decent teamwork."

_Three?_ Sakura perked. _So they had visited Konoha. _

"Kisame, get some sleep. We will need to cover some more ground before it is safe to begin the interrogation," Itachi said.

"Still can't move your arm?"

"No."

"Good thing we've nabbed a medic as well, huh?"

Sakura made no comment. That little piece of information was interesting, and a spark of hope ignited. Perhaps she could barter for her life if she wilfully aided in healing Itachi Uchiha. She doubted she'd live by the end, but all she needed was time; time to think, time for the others to come if they ever did, and time to hope.

She remained unmoving as Kisame propped Samehada against a tree nearby her and settled down to sleep, leaving her in the presence and line of sight of Itachi. Her eyes travelled to him. He was leaning against another tree next to his partner, wounded shoulder facing away from her. She could still see the slight discomfort in nervous ticks in his face, though, and the torn cloth of his cloak.

With difficulty Sakura shuffled back against her own tree. The bruises from the fight ached, so did her teeth and jaw, and she was sluggish from the stealing of chakra, and she hardly noticed it but her heart was beating so fast her body just felt numb. She couldn't get comfortable; wouldn't – not in the presence of him, not when he was a space of unknown and unpredictability thanks to what he had forced himself to do years ago. And honestly, she didn't care if he had done everything he did to save Sasuke. All she thought when she learned the truth was that his prodding and taunting mind-fucked Sasuke into becoming what he was; a bordering-insane, twisted child who had barely any concept of what was right and wrong and who was friend and enemy.

If Itachi was so great, couldn't he have found another way to spare Sasuke's life from the massacre, that didn't end up with goading him onto a path of darkness? Was that truly the only way Itachi could think of to get his younger brother to kill him? Why did he go down this way to begin with?

It was crude. And she couldn't find herself giving any sympathy to the man. Funny what the addiction of love could completely and utterly destroy.

_But also create,_ she added to herself, thinking of the love Sunagakure eventually had for their Kazekage, and then in return; thinking of the exact same thing in Konoha, when Naruto was titled as a War Hero and had his name written on the memorial stone; thinking of all the children born into a world of peace years afterwards.

Love was powerful.

Maybe it _was_ the most dangerous thing in the world.

A loud snore from Kisame's direction pulled her out of her thoughts in time to see Itachi glare at his partner's slumbering body and prod him on the shoulder. With a grumble, the shark-man rolled over, his snores silenced and unable to give their position away to the enemy.

Sakura swallowed, curling her tongue at the still awful taste of vomit and sinking her head to the wedge of her knees.

_What am I going to do? _

"Surprising," Itachi's smooth voice sounded.

She made no notion that she heard.

"You're a thirteen year old girl, fresh from the Academy, and yet you act like a professional adult kunoichi," he commented. "Not that there aren't teenagers who act like you, even kunoichi, but this is different. You're scared. I can hear your heart. But I see no indication that suggests you're losing control of yourself like any child, untrained in real situations such as these, would. You are in full control of what you're feeling, what you're showing, and that is practically unheard of for a child of a civilian family; Sakura Haruno."

She lifted her head and met his gaze when he said her name. So her knows of her.

"You can't move your arm, can you?" she queried, mumbling.

He didn't answer at first. "That's right."

"You know about the Chidori?"

"Yes, I do."

Sakura exhaled. "The electricity would have short-circuited every nerve and chakra point in your arm and shoulder. Your entire left side would be feeling a little numb, making the pain easier to bear. Since you can't feel it, and you aren't trained in wound conditions, you probably think it isn't that severe, and could be fixed in whatever time you have after you kill me and find a doctor. But you're wrong.

"The damage made to your nerves and points could have been worse. The chakra running through your body absorbed the brunt of the attack, cutting the sensory nerve connection from your arm to your brain before the lightning could do anything worse to your body. Because of that your nerves are dead, and therefore almost impossible to rejuvenate by the time you do find someone; and it will be even harder to find someone who has the precise chakra control to clip the nerves to encourage re-connection with the rest of your body. The fact of the matter is, you're running out of time, Itachi. If you wait too long, you will lose the control of your arm."

She let him sink in her words. The silence was oddly satisfying.

"It seems I do not know everything about the Chidori. I hadn't realised Kakashi had changed his jutsu that much."

"He didn't. Sasuke did."

If only she could have seen his face when she said that. His expression would have no doubt been its usual mask of cold indifference, but perhaps she could have found something flicker in those tired dark eyes of his.

And maybe she was telling a white lie. It was Kakashi's idea to begin with to severe the connection of nerves and disrupt the flow of the chakra around the sight of impact. The wound itself would still bear resemblance to searing lightning – appear and smell terrible – but it was the damage within the body that was the ace. Kakashi had suggested the prospect to the Uchiha, and he took the challenge eagerly.

"You're suggesting an arrangement," Itachi finally answered.

A stone of burden fell from her shoulders. "Yes. I am."

"Then I was right. You do have something to hide."

"My life is on the line."

"And so is mine, it seems. We appear to be on the same boat."

He was looking at her, and Sakura risked a glance. Those eyes made her turn away again. Those eyes were perceptive, staring at her, through her, like they knew what she was thinking, who she was, and her secret.

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><p>How and when Sakura fell asleep was beyond her, but when she woke she was so sluggish she couldn't even move. Her body felt like dead weight, singing with aches and pains that hadn't existed the day before. Her senses were muddled, her chakra regenerating slowly after the lengthy intake from Samehada, but she could still listen.<p>

"—like that," someone ended; Kisame, judging by the hoarseness of his voice. "But I agree it's going to be… necessary."

"She's awake," Itachi stated after a pause.

"Excellent."

She heard Kisame's footfalls grow louder as he approached her and rolled her over. Blearily she opened her eyes and met his squarely. His smile, that always seemed to be on his lips, was there again, a warning to her. He squatted, fingers tracing over the collar of her shirt. This gesture, too intimate for her liking, woke Sakura up proper and he chuckled.

"Here's the deal, _Sakura_. Itachi needs some healing. We also need whatever information you have in that pretty head of yours. But you need to live. So this is how it goes: you heal him and when we're done extracting whatever we want from you we'll let you go free."

Sakura narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You'll let me go alive?"

He shrugged. "Why not."

"You'll let me go alive and unharmed?"

"Sakura," he said, almost purring. "What are the chances you'll tell us what we want to know willingly?"

She pressed her lips together firmly.

"That's what I thought. So, no. When we get what we want you won't be leaving unharmed. Unless you decide that if we're going to get the information one way or another you might as well tell us, _then_ you can walk away without harm. It is your choice."

She bit back the urge to say, 'over my dead body', in case it would encourage him down that line of thought.

"I don't believe you," she said instead. They'd let her leave alive? No way. Not unless they completely destroyed her mind first so that she couldn't talk about her experiences, couldn't remember anything. Doing what they wanted probably just meant less pain. Perhaps.

Kisame patted her cheek, chuckling. "That's a smart girl. Now, are you going to heal him, or do you need a little incentive?" Casually he pulled a kunai from his pouch and spun it. Sakura watched the knife, thinking it through.

Should she sabotage him in some way? Hold back on healing some of his arm so that he was handicapped in battle. Would that help her and Konoha, or would that just make things worse? Itachi could still be their greatest ally if things went differently this time around, and for that he'd need the use of both his arms.

Still undecided, Sakura sat up, glowering at Kisame and his ever-present smile. He caught and held his kunai, the tip glinting. Maybe she'll take a look at the wound first to see its extent before deciding.

Swallowing, inhaling through the tightness in her chest, Sakura said, "You'll need to untie me."

"Just your hands, girl, and only when you're about to begin."

He grabbed the back of her collar and yanked her to her feet. She tried to find balance on her bound feet, but Kisame didn't give a chance to even settle while he dragged her over to Itachi seated beside a burnt out fire and dropped her before him. Itachi watched her stoically, and suddenly it was getting harder to breathe. It was suddenly hard to have faith. It was suddenly very easy to fear for her own life, and tell them everything.

No. And just as quickly she quenched those thoughts.

Kisame patted her hard on the shoulder. "And just because we're nice and hospitable, we'll cook something up for you, alright? Gotta save your energy."

Sakura said nothing as she took in her surroundings. There was a lake at Itachi's back, hidden amongst the trees that grew in and around it, shading the sunlight that beat down hard enough that the water surface was glowing a pretty shade of green. The lake disappeared around a bend. They must have travelled while she slept, as everything was different, and though she couldn't quite see the sun she guessed it had be moving into the early afternoon.

Silently she nestled herself and spread her hands.

Itachi nodded at Kisame, who stalked onto the lake nearby and looked around his feet for a few seconds before moving on. Watching him, Sakura flinched when Itachi began untying the ropes around her wrists. She sighed in relief, releasing a quiet moan while massaging her rope burns. Then she began.

Tentatively Sakura tilted towards the Uchiha, making sure not to look anywhere near his face. She slowly grabbed the front of his cloak and pulled it back. Wordlessly the Uchiha tried to shrug it off but he winced in pain, forcing Sakura to help. Setting aside the bloody cloak she unwrapped the red bandages and inspected the shoulder first. He at least knew how to apply a dressing, but it didn't seem to have too much of an effect.

His purple shirt and beneath fishnet were torn, singed from the hot lightning of the Chidori. Delicately she peeled back the cloth, seeing that his skin still held jagged static marks. The old blood had been washed away but it still bled lightly, the wound a little red, and beneath she could see his flesh trying to heal itself.

Frowning, Sakura looked to his hand, where there were more lashes leading all the way up to the wound on his shoulder. Clearly Naruto's addition of the wind to boost Sasuke's speed had done the job, making it hard for Itachi to block in time when it was so unexpected; in other words _a damn_ _lucky shot_. The Chidori had sailed over his left hand and connected partly well on his shoulder, before Sasuke was hit with Samehada.

That was all she could see on the outside. Creating a warm glow of chakra in her hand, she hovered over his arm and shoulder to inspect the extent of the severed nerves. She found the point where the chakra coils had simply cut everything off to save the rest of the body, and she traced from his collar bone, over his left pec and below his armpit.

"Could you feel that?" she asked.

"A little."

She prodded either side of the invisible line, waiting for a nod of confirmation that he could feel the difference. He gave it. She knew where the nerves had been cut.

"I will need more chakra than what I currently have to re-connect your nerves, but I can heal some of the visible wound," she explained.

Again, with those eyes, he scrutinised her. Again, she was aware of it all, but this time all she saw was Sasuke. Cold. Evil. Why was she remembering the old him so often all of a sudden?

"Is that so?" His voice was soft, suspicious.

"If you wanted to be fully healed then perhaps you shouldn't have sucked out my chakra."

His face remained stoic. "From what you've told me the wound itself will still heal without any danger to my bodily functions if the damage to the inner nerves are mended. It is the nerves that is the problem. You have enough chakra to re-connect some, so I suggest that you do."

Sakura pursed her lips. Observant. He stared back.

She sighed. "Fine. You may feel some pain."

"Very well."

Quickly she rushed to think of a decision about what she should do. Healing the wound itself would have bought her time, but she was a fool in thinking that Itachi wouldn't realise that, yes, the gash itself would still heal itself without further danger to him.

"I need my kit," she said, sighing. Itachi presented it from the hidden pockets of his thrown Akatsuki cloak. She pulled out a cup of ointment and smeared some of it around the gash, pushing aside the torn cloth that hid it. "It will fight any chance of infection."

Then she began, pressing along the invisible line to find the broken nerves. The more she found the more she felt concerned. She would have been able to heal them all, eventually, with the chakra supply she had when she was older, but considering she was low as it was and her supply was even smaller, she wasn't sure she'd be able to heal them all correctly. There was a good chance, regardless, that Itachi may lose some sort of function or feeling in his arm and hand.

Use of the arm was a lot more beneficial, and so she silently decided that he could afford to lose the feeling in his fingers if it came to it.

She settled on a particular nerve and pressed in harder, threading her chakra through. Itachi twinged when the nerve started to heal and his lip pulled back in distaste. With her other hand she found another and repeated the same. He closed his eyes and swallowed. Sakura inspected him closely. This was the first time she'd been this near to him, and now that she was she couldn't help but look.

He was young. He always looked so much older with that poker face of his, but when he was in pain that visage clearly dropped. She was surprised she was even seeing it. Sweat beaded in his hairline, wetting his fringe shading his eyes. His lids moved as he willed the pain away, and she could see him clench his jaw through the movement in his cheeks.

He looked so human.

It didn't match well with how she'd always seen him as, even after she'd learned the truth.

After a moment she pulled back and he exhaled in relief; she did too, discreetly. Should she tell him that she didn't think she could heal everything?

No. They may not take it well.

"That was quick," Kisame noted as he approached them, holding a handful of fish by the tail. One flopped slightly, mouth opening and closing slowly.

"She was without chakra," Itachi answered. He reached for his cloak and began to slide it on, taking his time. It was almost painful for Sakura to watch him put it on, when one of his arms was out of action, that she nearly helped him do it, but eventually he settled for simply draping it over himself.

Kisame dropped the bundle of fish by the fire with a grunt. "So, what? She'll be in our hands for few more days, huh? And when should we start the… interrogation?" The still alive fish flopped again weakly. Sakura felt similar to the captured fish; unless her teammates found her, unless she found a way to escape with her mind intact, she was exactly like the animal, splashing about with no way out.

"We can begin today," Itachi answered.

Sakura froze.

"Genjutsu?" Kisame asked.

"While she has little chakra."

Sakura chose to keep quiet about the impending interrogation, though it scared her enough – just thinking about what Itachi could uncover through her fears scared her – that she didn't make a noise of protest when Kisame roughly retied her hands with a long rope lead. She shuffled further to the side, away from, as they re-lit the fire and began toasting the fish.

Her stomach grumbled loudly. She was too exhausted to feel embarrassed, too frightened by all the prospects, that she just paid attention to the sizzling flesh and the calming sensation of her chakra beginning to return already.

They gave her a fish and a bottle of water which she stared at, letting it soak in that she was actually having lunch with these criminals. The thought was incredibly strange. She looked up at them, watching as Kisame munched into a second fish already. Compared to his gigantic bites Itachi looked like a lady nibbling.

"Eat," Kisame said. "You know you need whatever strength you can get for what's coming next."

Sakura hated him.

Worse than that, she hated that he was right.

The food and water turned to ash in her mouth. She was unable to taste anything as she tried to figure out what she could do, but it did ease the hungry ache in stomach. When she was done she breathed in deeply. _Prepare yourself, Sakura_, she encouraged.

"Here," Kisame said, tossing the reins to the stoic male and snatching up his empty water bottle to refill.

Itachi took a final sip of his water then curled his hand around the end of the rope for a tighter hold. He tugged gently, and Sakura involuntarily inched towards him, exhaling in concern. His injured arm remained limp in his lap.

Sakura made sure to keep her gaze levelled at his exposed collar bone and beaded necklace as he placed his water bottle beside him. "You still have the energy to fight, even without chakra," he said. "You must train well."

She didn't react. It was all a distraction, something to catch her off guard.

He tugged. She resisted.

"Of course, the lack of chakra makes you more susceptible to the whims of even the simplest of genjutsu. I've seen how physical Leaf Genin are these days, but I'm curious to the mental prowess. Do they still train you as well as in my day?"

A harsher tug sent her forward enough her gaze automatically brushed up over Itachi's face, and then she knew she was caught when she saw those red eyes and curious smile. Instantly she was transported to a familiar setting.

Darkness reigned. The wind caught the trees, whistling through the condensed mesh of twigs and branches, nipping at Sakura's exposed skin. She gazed down both directions of the cobblestone pathway, which was long and thinning to shadows down further. The moon shone and her heart clenched at the sight of the white stone bench, cold and uninviting.

_My biggest fears. He's bringing them out,_ Sakura noted. _Calm down._

Easier said than done. Soft footsteps caught her attention and she peered over her shoulder, throat tight at the sight of Sasuke wearing his old clothes of white shorts and a navy, high-collared shirt. He was gripping the straps of his purple backpack, and at the sight of her he stopped, eyes narrowing.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, voice rough in accusation.

Sakura exhaled, heart pounding. Dreams of this moment years ago had long since been collecting dust, but experiencing it again was a completely different matter. She remembered the words, the situation, the tears and absolute desperation as she had begged him not to leave. Even now, in this genjutsu, she felt her eyes burn as she recalled everything, because for a moment she felt that aching love that she felt for him back then.

In a heartbeat it was gone, though lingered on desperate threads as a refusal to be forgotten.

Momentarily overlooking where she was, she shook her head, swallowed back her tears and said, "I should be asking you that question."

"Move aside," he demanded.

It was stupid how she couldn't stay calm. Reliving it all made her heart beat, pumped adrenaline through her veins as she fought against these annoying memories. She had no chakra to dispel the genjutsu, had no one nearby to help her, so pain or sheer will were her only options.

Wordlessly she stepped to the side, expression vacant. Surprise flashed across Sasuke's face, but he took this opportunity to pass by. When he did, Sakura got a whiff of pine scented candle, and this, of all things, unlocked a deep desire honed from years of anger to just yell at him. She staved off this want, biting harder on her bottom lip until she bled, but the genjutsu did not break. Still she held on, clenching her fists until his footsteps disappeared, and she released a breath she didn't even know she held.

She refused to get angry. Anger led to many things. And that was what Itachi wanted.

This was her interrogation. He wanted to unfurl her, reveal her mysteries to them.

But she was no simpleton when it came to genjutsu. There were reasons why she shifted her priorities around to specialise in medical-ninjutsu and genjutsu, and even when out of chakra, or in the hold of someone this strong, there was no way in hell she was going to just give in. She willed herself, then, to keep everything about who she was hidden, anything that would be too suspicious.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke's voice came again abruptly.

Sakura flinched, turning her head to him again with wide eyes, but she said nothing. It seemed this was Itachi's method then; repeating the horrible fear of the moment where everything felt like it had collapsed in on itself.

"Go home, Sakura," he said. When she remained silent, he rolled his eyes. "Annoying."

Her fingers flexed. She did nothing. He left.

"What are you doing here?"

Nothing.

He left. He returned.

"What are you doing here?"

Sakura didn't know how many times she relived that same line over and over again, followed by a mixture of annoyance and concern as he told her to go home. Sometimes he'd change, standing before her and staring her in the eyes, before lifting his lip in distaste and moving on. One time he just breezed by without a glance, and that hurt the most because that was the closest to the original out of any of them if she hadn't said a word that night to stop him.

He walked by again without another word, and then Sakura sighed in aggravation from the bench where she had sat.

He returned.

"Why didn't you stop me, Sakura?"

She started, staring up at him in shock. This was new.

The young Sasuke, who appeared so different from the one she currently knew, even though they were the same age, looked down on her with a dark expression. It said everything she feared; why? Why did she stop? Why didn't she try harder? Why didn't she just scream?

"Maybe I wouldn't have become what I was if you had just been stronger," he said.

Sakura scowled. "I am stronger."

"Not strong enough to stop me. You were _never_ strong enough to stop me."

"I am stronger _now_!" she shouted, rising to her feet.

There was so much she wanted to say, but she had to remember that this was an interrogation. Itachi brought up a fear that just so happened to be connected to everything she experienced in the future, and every second longer within it was giving away weird signals. Their words should have already sent flags up in Itachi's mind, and terrified of this thought Sakura breathed in deep and forced herself to relax.

She had never had the opportunity to shout her heart out to Sasuke. Never was given the chance in a moment of his life when he might've listened. The temptation still tore at her, even now, but she was stronger now, and she could prove it.

"Pathetic," he spat, and walked away.

He returned. She steeled herself.

"What are you do—"

She glared at him. "Bite me, you asshole."

A switch was flicked and black bled to green and yellow, and Sakura inhaled sharply as the lake and the two Akatsuki came into view, blurred at first then becoming clearer. She was panting now, forgoing the look around to glower at Itachi's chin. Her wrists protested against the rope binding her, scraping her skin raw.

"She broke out of your Sharingan?" Kisame asked, sharpening his spare kunai and shuriken.

"No. I didn't use my Sharingan. Just a weak genjutsu. But she still managed it, even without chakra."

Kisame hummed in interest. "Sheer will, huh? Strong mind for a thirteen year old."

"Strong? Possibly. Seasoned…? Yes."

Kisame chuckled. "It seems that someone had been mind-raped multiple times in their youth," he commented, then shrugged. "Well, youther youth."

Sakura panted for breath. She felt exhausted. _Keep it together. _

With her comforting thought she didn't even flinch when a finger tilted her head up and she met again with Itachi's red eyes. She smelled disinfectant, heard soft moaning cries, and then she opened her eyes and saw she stood at the entrance of a packed tent. Wounded were lined up in cots on the ground; bleeding, bandaged, coughing.

She remembered this. Remembered walking into a tent during the Great War and seeing all the ninja who were wounded and dying. She stood at the entrance like she did now and took in a deep breath and gone right in and straight to work, but now she just stood.

A medic pushed by her, trying to get in. "Sakura, are you alright?" He waited for a moment, bloodshot eyes wide with concern, but then a strangled cry broke through and a patient at the back started flailing.

Another medic ran to the patient and tried calming him, but the soldier was strong. "Help!" the nurse called.

The concerned male left Sakura at the entrance, though she followed soon after. The medics grappled with the frightened injured man as he screamed, and after steeling herself Sakura broke through the uncertainty and joined them in stabilising him. His long brown hair was a mess, caked in grime and blood, and then he looked at her and she saw his lavender eyes just a second before a katana slipped right through and up into her belly.

Neji smiled, twisting the blade. A cold chill crawled up Sakura's back and she exhaled shakily, grip tightening around his shoulders. The medics stood, eerily calm, and watched as the Hyuuga removed the blade and Sakura nearly fall back onto him. She regained her balance in time, though, a hand on the bleeding wound, and she looked up at the medics.

Their expression was calm, that of a disinterested overseer.

She tried breathing again but blood bubbled in her throat. He must have nicked a lung. There was a weight in her chest that she tried to get rid of by healing herself, but she had no chakra suddenly. Panic flooded her and she turned back to Neji, who sat up calmly, that creepy smile on his face, and slashed the blade across her neck.

Blood spurted, air completely left her in shock, and she fell back onto the patients behind her, hands grasping at anything, everything, smearing the crimson liquid everywhere. She gasped for breath. Her vision started to blur. The last thing she processed was Neji rising from his cot, wiping the blood from his weapon with the sheets.

She closed her eyes. And then opened them.

She stood in Konoha. She stood in complete and utter destruction. There was no Konoha anymore. There were dead people; people she _knew_. There was rubble. There was smoke and fire. There was battle on the edge of the once great village. Noise reigned like an ugly storm around her and she closed her eyes again, not wanting to see.

Her stomach still ached from phantom pain of the stab wound but when she touched her body the blood, the hole, wasn't there anymore. Her heart raced, her insides feeling as though they were beating against her skin.

Genjutsu.

Genjutsu. _Genjutsu._

It wasn't real. She'd been through this sort of pain and fear; betrayal, destruction of Konoha and so much more. She could do this again. She was strong. She couldn't get rid of fear, but she could fight it.

"What are you afraid of Itachi?" she asked into the still air.


	22. Surviving

_Thank you guys! XD _

_Apologies if you expected more with her time with the Akatsuki, but don't worry. Ripples, remember? Ripples. :3_

_Also, no plans for a pairing yet, either. You may definitely see some sort of chemistry between Sakura and anyone else in a scene but I'm not gunning for a pairing yet – or at all. The story is kind of writing itself… :)_

_And I feel really evil for saying this but I'm glad that Ino's death has still affected you all, and that I'm still getting comments on it. Still sad, though. Ino was sort of my go-to girl. :(_

_Fun fact: this chapter originally ended on a huge cliff-hanger. I'm sure you'll know the spot when you get to it. :)_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO—<br>**_Surviving_

* * *

><p>The next few days were a long blur. Sakura was tired emotionally and physically, dragging her feet as she trailed behind the Akatsuki members. Her hands were raw from the rubbing of the ropes. Her mind was weary from the genjutsu Itachi continually cast on her. Everything she was seeing kept weighing on her, biting at her defences and weakening her resolve, so that more and more she noticed that hints of who she was was slipping into the illusion.<p>

She didn't know if Itachi took note of them, didn't even know if he was aware what they could mean, but she hoped against hope that he didn't, because there was nothing she could do. At one point she was wondering why she was even trying to hide everything from him if she thought he could be helpful in the future.

They kept her drained. Whenever she woke they untied her hands and watched as she healed more of the nerves in Itachi's arm until she ran out of chakra, then they bound her again, let her eat, made her walk, and when they stopped again for the night he'd cast another genjutsu on her. Bit by bit he was able to use his arm, but she kept quiet about what the result would be. She was taking too long in healing each one that the older broken nerves had begun to reach an unfixable state. She still definitely had a lot to re-learn.

Each day she wondered more and more on what was going to happen to her. More and more she saw no point in healing Itachi willingly. More and more she was grateful to fall into that tiring slumber at the end of the day.

_This_ was the torture. _This_ was why he never cast a genjutsu that did anything more than just fiddle with her fears. And she was too late to see it.

"Perhaps the most compliant prisoner I've ever had," Kisame had commented with a grin.

Another morning, another session of healing, another trek through the woods, another seat before Itachi. He narrowed his eyes at her, and then his brow softened. Sakura tensed at this change. What was going through his mind?

She didn't have the chance to ponder before she, like usual, slipped into his genjutsu again. Immediately she smelled smoke and blood and sweat, and it was so strong it was overpowering. Pained cries came to her ears and Sakura snapped her eyes open to look open her bloody hands shaking over the crimson body of a shinobi.

This was similar to all the other illusions; the one with Neji betraying her, the one where she forgot all her medical knowledge. Whatever was to happen this time, she'd handle it. She'd gone through this before, after all.

"Sakura!" someone called. "Why have you stopped?"

It was another medic, dark eyes enlarging with concern. Dazedly Sakura saw the headband wrapped securely around the male medic's forehead, and the symbol of the united countries from the Great War years ago was shown; clearer than it had ever been in these illusions.

Another slip.

And then her patient cried out in pain and the medic yelled that they were losing him. All of it was swallowed and brewed with the stench of smoke and blood and deafening sounds of explosions. It was all blurred, a blend of horrible dark colours that drenched her mind, and then—and then—

—long blonde hair swept into view and she was looking into bright eyes of blue, sparkling with joy before fading to a dead husk.

Sakura shrieked, ripping herself out of the illusion and then her binds and punching blindly in the direction of the Uchiha. She barely processed her fist being caught before she sent another punch flying. Blocked, but the intensity of her rage pushed her weight forward, and she sent the Uchiha onto his back, herself on top.

Her sight was skewered on him below her, and she screamed as she tore her fist from his grip and sent it hurtling back down on him. His hand caught the blow again, but the strength of it still broke through straight towards his neck.

Pain seared up Sakura's side before she hit and suddenly she was flung off of the Uchiha and into the tree, skin burning from the extraction of chakra and scales of Samehada. Sense hit her like a brick and Sakura choked, digging all five fingers of her right hand into the earth, screaming into the ground as the stress and pain and frustration and the resurface of old memories drained from her all over again.

Her voice was hoarse, but she didn't cry. No tears came to her.

Just fury.

* * *

><p>Itachi kept first watch again that night. Against a tree, head leaning back on the trunk and his arms crossed, he looked like he was sleeping with his eyes open. Kisame was nearby him on his stomach, snoring quietly into the fresh grass.<p>

The coals of the dead fire glowed bright orange, keeping Sakura's eyes trained on them. She was unable to sleep, unable to let herself relax with anger pulsing through her. Her throat burned from all her screaming and anger, and the pain was far from satisfying. She would have been able to handle anything – _anything_ – from her past life, something that Itachi could pass over as a fear or nightmare of the now – but _Ino._

God, Ino was the last thing she was expecting, although it should have been the first. Her mental defences had weakened, she had expected anything to show up, but… but not that.

The sight of that man dying, bleeding beneath her, was just an instant ticket reminder of Ino. She didn't know how this dying man was the one who just struck a chord, but he was, and Sakura couldn't stop herself from what had happened next. It was like her berserk button. So much so, the anger from before still tingled in her fingertips, and even though she hadn't been doing anything for hours, she still felt exhausted.

The worst of it all was that it had to have caught their interest.

She flexed her wrists, cringing when they cracked and she felt it all the way along her forearm. It had been eight hours since her fury, and neither of the Akatsuki had approached her in any way or altered their methods of handling her yet. She didn't actually remember everything that had happened after she saw Ino, but when she came to her senses, throat raw, hands bloody, a fingernail or two broken, she saw that Itachi was nursing a lightly bruised throat.

For that alone she thought she'd be given a beating, but Kisame seemed oddly amused and Itachi was his usual self of indifference, although she noted that he did grimace when he ate too large a bite from his dinner later on. Whether it further affected his vocals, she didn't know either; she didn't know anything about his condition as she hadn't been asked, nor that she wanted to, to inspect the injury.

A small part of her cheered.

Time became stagnant, it felt like. Sakura didn't know how long it had been anymore or if she had even slept at all, but eventually she sensed a disturbance that had her suddenly wide awake. A fine mist was closing in on the camp, rushing in like a small wave creeping up the shoreline. It smothered the embers and pooled around her body and the Akatsuki, submerging Kisame.

Itachi stood, wading into the steadily thickening and rising mist. He kicked Kisame's body and the larger man stopped mid-yawn when he saw the layering of white; he was up by the Uchiha's side right away with Samehada in a firm grip.

Sakura remained where she sat against the tree, feeling the mist ghost over her bare legs and up her body, caressing her neck. She shivered at the sensation, brushing away at it only for it playfully dart back after her warm fingers. It was soft, how she'd imagine a cloud would be if she could touch one, and it smelled fresh.

Against her will Itachi grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. His Sharingan was activated. She teetered, fighting the urge to pull away, but she knew that this mist was unnatural, that there was someone else nearby, and that in her state – tired, bound, nearly empty of chakra – she'd have a better chance of getting out alive if she stayed with Itachi. Apparently she was still of use; she wasn't expendable just yet.

This mist though…

…_it's familiar…_

It rose higher until it submerged them completely, so high over their heads they could barely see the canopy.

Kisame chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've been face-to-face with _him_."

Sakura exhaled in a rush.

_Zabuza._

Itachi reeled her in closer to his body. Firmly Sakura tried to keep some distance between them but he wouldn't relent, and after a second she didn't fight anymore. Zabuza was a shinobi with unknown motives. The Akatsuki still wanted her alive. She'd take her chances.

A grating of metal pierced the silence and air whooshed by her, the scent of smoke swelling briefly before water raced across her feet. Instinctively she sprung towards safety. Itachi followed her movements then pulled her back hard as a tree collapsed. She growled into his blood-scented cloak, fisting her bound hands.

"Itachi, take the girl. We'll meet at the Tavern," Kisame said. "I'll hold him off."

Itachi nodded, tucked her under his good arm like a sack before she could react and shot into the woods. Wind whistled by her. Water crashed behind them. She heard the first sounds of combat, of metals meeting and shouts of excitement. She almost wished she could have witnessed them battle but Itachi was so fast that the sounds of it quickly began to vanish and the adrenaline she felt for the impending battle left her unsatisfied.

The mist started to fade also, the dawn light spilling through the canopy. It wasn't long before Sakura felt sick from the movement and the lack of food, water and proper sleep. A groan fell from her lips and Itachi slowed, gently setting her on the ground and leaning her back against a tree. She felt sweat accumulate on her brow and he tested her temperature and then her pulse; his cold fingers gave her a jolt when he touched her throat.

"You're going as green as the grass," he lightly commented, voice somewhat hoarse. Up close, that bruise had already turned a faded purple.

Sakura breathed. "Great camouflage," she mumbled. The words were hard to form, dribbling from her lips. She was that exhausted.

Itachi looked her in the eyes, and for the briefest of seconds his lips twitched into a sincere smile. At least she thought it was a smile. It was difficult to focus properly on anything and it could have easily been a grimace of some kind. As she regulated her breathing, however, Sakura let herself believe that it was a smile.

She may not have agreed with what he did to get what he wanted, but clearly there was more to him; more to him that she was guiltily stubborn in refusing to believe. So long picturing him from his actions, from what other people said about him, she had always viewed him as inhuman, a picture in a book that didn't exist, but he did, and he bled red, his heart did beat, and no matter how much he tried to remain indifferent to everything there was still a lonely man beneath all that he willingly hid and sacrificed.

God, he was such a mess. And the nurturing side of Sakura so wanted to look past all the shit he'd done, but the other side warned her to remain on guard, to not give in to sympathy for all the things he'd done to himself.

Itachi stood abruptly, head tilted. "Bandits."

She felt like throwing up again. "I don't have enough chakra to run with you at your speed. And even if I did, I may vomit anyway." It was always possible to use what little chakra she had to stabilise her erratic insides but it wouldn't be for long and she'd rather save it for something direr.

Itachi dropped her medicinal pouch in front of her. "Is there anything in there you could use to calm yourself? Chakra tablets? Herbs?"

The sight of the battered leather was perhaps the first happiness she had felt in a while. Eagerly she grabbed and rifled through it, hoping that they hadn't removed anything. They hadn't. She found some tablets from Suna that would give her a decent boost of chakra, but it worked best with proper food in her stomach, and without anything it would give her severe cramps afterwards. The phantom sensation of a full stomach while the tablet was digested was just that, a phantom.

She quickly popped one in her mouth. Immediately she tasted the different herbs that Suna used in their tablets – sour, strong – but without hesitation she swallowed it.

Itachi leaned down and gripped her shoulder. "Run with me," he said. His Sharingan whirled. "Run _from_ me, and I will hunt you down."

Sakura nodded and rose to her feet, shakily at first til she gained her balance. Itachi's threat was real. She couldn't so easily escape during the fighting, especially in her weakened condition, so she humoured him.

They ran. It was odd sprinting with her hands still bound but she managed. Itachi led her, heading in one direction before diverging off course. She could feel the bandits on the sentry of her senses and coming closer. There was a whole party, around twelve, and only five of them were shinobi; easy opponents for Itachi alone to fend off if need be, and the time for that was coming.

Then it arrived. The predicted bandits burst from the foliage with kunai and shuriken spinning and angry swipes of a katana. One impacted straight with Itachi who blocked and kneed his opponent in the gut before twisting the body around and letting a second bandit stick a kunai in his comrade's face.

Sakura dodged under a katana and kicked at her opponent's knee but instantly she was punched into a trunk through an earth attack. Her stomach bleated in pain and her head rung but she blocked the katana again with her hands. She tried to push chakra into them, but she felt it being absorbed into the ropes and she cursed aloud. Apparently Itachi and Kisame had been well prepared. She could only use her chakra on her legs. It wouldn't stop her.

Crying out Sakura stamped her foot down and felt the earth tremble. It shook the bandit leaning on her enough for her to shove him back and kick him in the stomach into an enemy converging on Itachi from behind. The foe shinobi had swarmed in on him, forcing him to create clones to parry their attacks, but each clone was quickly extinguished when fire rained down around them.

Sakura ran for the fallen katana while the enemy wasn't yet upon her and tried to swipe her ropes against the sharp blade but it had hardly made any damage before the ground rose up quickly around her legs and sucked her in. She yelped; then stopped, screaming out a curse. She couldn't move. Her hands and legs to mid-calf were beneath the ground.

She scanned around to see more bandit bodies littering the ground, and while she sensed that there was more in the vicinity all she saw was an ash-faced Itachi sprinting for her and wrapping his hands under her arms. He yanked. She screamed as the earth rebelled this notion and sucked her in more, clenching around her ribs. She didn't know where the shinobi was who performed this earth jutsu but damn it was a pain.

"By all means, rip me apart!" she snapped at Itachi.

He didn't reply. He didn't have time. Howling wind deafened the battlefield and twigs, branches and leaves swept by them in forceful gales, heavy enough that Itachi gripped her as his feet were momentarily moved from beneath him. Sakura clenched her teeth. Itachi quickly caught his balance, sticking to the ground like a magnet and forcing Sakura's head down to avoid debris.

The wind was suddenly silenced by a strangled, gurgling noise, and then that heavy mist fell in. Sakura inhaled, smelling that fresh scent and Itachi's ashy aroma, and glanced over her shoulder, ignoring how close he was to her. There was a shadow in the mist, a familiar build of a man that stepped nearer until his gaze rested on her.

His eyes narrowed. It was quiet enough she could hear him exhale. "You."

_He remembers me?_

There was a cry and two bandit shinobi burst from the trees, pulling Zabuza into combat just as a steady vibration sang through the ground. It skittered up her body, making her teeth chatter, and then she heard a roaring noise that gradually grew, and over the tops of the trees a wall of water shadowed them, converging.

"Kisame…" Itachi said, frowning. His tone of voice said everything.

Sakura ushered all her chakra to her feet and expelled it but the earth jutsu had a large enough hold of her body that it managed to hold on tight. "Gah!" Her ribs pinched. Panic was beginning to set in with how close that wave was, how close everything was!

Itachi moved his hands together and slammed the ground. Sakura felt pressure build up beneath her and then the earth softened to a sloppy mud that clung to her. Itachi grabbed her arms and pulled her again, and this time she felt the weight around her body and hands fall free as she sucked in air she didn't realise she had been deprived of. The pain in her ribs eased, but there was no time to rest.

Almost as soon as she was free the water sprouted beneath her feet. Sakura spread chakra to the soles just in time as Itachi held on to her wrist and they ascended into the air. The rising platform was unsteady but with the growing wave behind them she didn't care. She watched as she counted down the seconds until both water attacks collided, and then they met, and everything around her trembled. The wave started to curl, and Itachi pulled her onto the back of it as it did, and with breathless exhilaration she slid down it alongside him.

When she hit land she trotted, smiling, taking a few seconds to realise that she was back in the presence of both Akatsuki. The smile disappeared.

Kisame grinned from ear to ear. Itachi sent him a glare. "We were meant to be covert," he admonished.

Kisame shrugged, resting Samehada on his shoulder. "I cleaned up _your_ bloody mess."

The tidal wave had barely sunk over itself to sweep across the forest before the head of a water dragon burst from within and growled mightily. It sank to the ground and rushed towards them as a second split from its liquid body. Everything shook. Everything was so loud.

Kisame chuckled. "Round two. Go, Itachi. I'll catch up when I can."

Sakura ran first of her own volition. It was chaos. She could still sense some of the bandits, though utterly disorganised now that Zabuza had thrown them, that managed to avoid the tidal wave. The smell of mud, tilled earth and water and fire smothered the atmosphere. And to her relief she could still feel the effects of the tablet, even though any use of chakra was restricted to her feet.

She felt and heard the booming of the dragons meeting the ground, could hear water gushing faster than she was running. It skimmed around her feet, softening the ground, and then the earth rose up and water splattered as mud lapped eagerly for her and Itachi's feet. It took concentration to maintain the timing of the flow of chakra to her feet as she surfaced the rippling of the earth attack.

So the bandit was still alive.

It lashed at their clothing, spitting mud everywhere, and when she glanced back she no longer saw Itachi. She lurched up for the branches, skipping back as the mud followed, and saw the Uchiha get swallowed by the brown lush.

He exploded.

Sakura sprung from the branch. Maybe she could escape right now. Maybe he was preoccupied fighting the bandits.

She panted, all attention on speeding up her gait. She hoped for freedom; for sunlight. Then she had it, breaking into a clearing where the land suddenly disappeared into a ravine. Sakura skidded to a halt for a breather. Water from the ninjutsu rolled into the trench further down, although there were sheets of the liquid spreading down towards her due to the sheer size of the once tidal wave.

Her break didn't last long. Kunai and shuriken spun at her from the forest line and she dodged them.

It was all a mess of actions after that. Fire bloomed upon the edge of the forest and people screamed as more weapons were flung at her. Sakura dodged most. A kunai caught her in the arm – she gasped – but an earth attack punched her off and over the edge of the ravine. She felt nothing but air at her back as her brown-stained hair sailed passed her face. The green of the forest disappeared from sight and there was darkness and then suddenly a sharp twang in her skull. She stopped falling.

Puffing, Sakura gazed up to see the filthy Uchiha gripping onto her long tresses, his muddy hand slipping through the slick bundle. He held on tighter and Sakura winced, closing her eyes as even the kunai embedded in her arm reminded her that it was there. She felt her hair snapping at their roots the longer it went on, and taking a final look below, Sakura clutched the ring of the kunai with dirty bound hands and pulled it out. Blood spilled.

Understanding dawned in Itachi's expression. The hard lines of his face relaxed. Then she saw panic in his eyes and something more, and she knew, in that moment, that he had noticed all the hints she had involuntarily given away in the illusions made from her fears, that he knew there was something odd about her, and that he understood she was not going to give him that chance to learn more.

"_What are you afraid of Itachi?" _Her words echoed in her mind.

Then Sakura cut her hair.

She fell.

* * *

><p>It took her several minutes to notice that she was by that lake again, holding a fishing pole in her hands and watching the reflections of the clouds against the still water. She blinked and straightened in the fold out seat, tightening her grasp around the wood and looking around to see just how empty the area was. There were no birds in the sky or roosting in the trees, no rabbits darting between bushes, nor even butterflies or ants or flies hanging around her bait buckets.<p>

No matter how peaceful everything was, it all still felt dead, and automatically Sakura's guard went up.

The line tugged. She jerked back to attention and reined in the line. Her hook showed up a blue sandal. Shrugging, Sakura took the sandal off and set it by the feet of her chair. She'd caught stranger things.

"You're doing it wrong."

She tensed, glancing over her shoulder. At the familiar sight of Shikamaru coming down the incline, she let herself relax and look back out over the lake.

"What am I doing wrong?" Sakura asked. She was squinting, the sun shining too harshly on her face.

He released a tired groan before plonking down beside her, instantly reclining back and covering his eyes with his arm. "Fishing," he said. "If you're not enjoying it, you're doing it wrong."

"I just got here." _From where?_ she asked afterwards.

"Sakura. You only think about fishing when there are things you want to forget. I figured it's why you and Kakashi do it so often. You also do it to feel better."

She couldn't deny that he was right. Saying it like that, it all made sense. She did enjoy losing herself in the timelessness of something so simple and mundane, and although it could be considered a hobby that resulted in more thinking, it did the opposite. It cleared her mind of the thoughts that plagued her. It gave her clarity.

Clarity like the comments or remarks Shikamaru often came up with in recent years. He'd spent so much time cloud-watching, wondering what was the point of being a ninja, of living, his mind had broadened to other aspects that he wouldn't have otherwise thought of, and he'd often voiced them to her.

He was a source of comfort.

Sakura side-eyed him. "What are you doing here?"

"What I'm always doing here."

"You've only been here with me once," she commented, and then something twigged. She straightened, taking in her surroundings properly. "This isn't real, is it?"

"Nope."

Well, the answer wasn't the one she was expecting, but she appreciated the honesty. "Genjutsu?"

"I don't think so."

Sakura frowned. "How isn't this a Genjutsu?"

"Tried dreaming?" Shikamaru queried, lifting his arm to peer at her. "And I did just say this was your refuge."

She nodded in understanding, but pursed her lips at the thought that this was all happening in her own head at her own accord. "My refuge, huh? The lake. Why am I here, though? Here, here."

"Is there something you're trying to forget?"

"How would I know if I came here to forget it?" she shot back. He shrugged, made a non-committal noise and closed his eyes again. "And why you?"

"Not too long ago you were thinking that I am a source of comfort," he replied, and when she glanced at him she saw the beginnings of a smile.

"So you're a figment of my imagination."

"Your subconscious. Yes. If the real Shikamaru knew, I'm sure he'd be proud. Or… concerned."

Sakura raised a hand. "Woah, hey. Don't get out of hand. I do _not_ have feelings for you. Him. Whatever."

"Just stating where you subconscious thoughts were taking you."

She glowered at her sleeping friend and turned back to the lake.

She had been young, nine or so – around the time when she tried to capture Sasuke's attention – when she felt as though she could hear someone else talking to her. She thought nothing of it at first, and after a while, began to understand that these rogue thoughts flitting through her mind were just the ones she truly thought when she said something different; it was her sub-conscious making points known to her, telling her that she was lying to herself.

There was actually a period of time where she thought that it was absolutely normal, until she learned it wasn't. Tsunade had explained it as something that could be found in some ninja who were hyper-aware with dealings of the mind and had chakra-control as good as hers.

It wasn't another personality.

Though as time wore on after this revelation, Sakura had wondered if it was at all possible to train this 'other presence' to be something like a failsafe for any genjutsu she was caught in; like that time during the first Chuunin Exam with Ino. If this were the case, however, then why hadn't it reacted to all those illusions Itachi cast on her, or the practise ones with Sasuke or Kakashi or anyone else? Why just then?

More to the point, there was also no face to the voice. It was just her. So why Shikamaru, and why now? Was he the first person she always thought of when she wanted to escape to serenity? It did make sense, and it also made her smile.

He was uncomplicated, and that was like a breath of fresh air.

"If I'm here to forget and I don't remember it, then I've already buried it," she said after a moment. "And for me to bury it and for you to not even have an inkling, then… it must be trauma."

"Sounds right," Shikamaru answered.

"The last thing I remember is running from the battle between Zabuza and the Akatsuki."

"Then you need to wake up, and see what's next."

"I don't need to see what's next because I know it's what comes after whatever has been traumatic for me to cover up in the first place."

"You don't even know what to look for."

"Well, I can go walk around, for starters."

"Then why aren't you getting up?"

He was right. She was shaking.

"We buried it for a reason, Sakura. Get used to that idea first."

"This is great," she snapped, tossing the fishing rod down. "I'm psycho-analysing myself _within_ myself. I feel even more insane than the moment I realised I had gone back in time."

Shikamaru groaned as he pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes. He blinked hard until his vision returned and then scratched the back of his neck. "Don't worry about going insane, Sakura. The only reason you are able to communicate with me is due to your natural inner body defences. You needed a deeper help and so conjured me to alleviate the strain."

"Why hasn't it been like this before?"

"I don't know."

She sighed. "Alright then. How do I wake up?"

"I don't know."

"Really."

"Well…" He pointed to the sky. Clouds were coming in overhead in larger groups but he was gesturing to a particular pattern. "There's one shaped like a key."

Sakura followed his direction. "Cliché. Symbolic. I didn't need a genius to help me figure that out."

"Apparently you did."

"Shut up."

Shikamaru chuckled. "When was the last time you looked at the sky, Sakura? You're too focused on what's on the ground, what's happening around you. The sky is out of your hands. Let things go, watch it pass, and then join it. You can't control everything."

She knew exactly what he was referring to. "I know that," she said. "It's just taking me a while to accept it. That I can't fix everything."

"It's a start."

"Yeah." She moved her gaze back to the sky, and watched the key-shaped cloud float by her and then disappear quickly behind a group of slower ones. She closed her eyes and then her stomach fell, a queasiness setting in that made her shift uncomfortably. There were beeping noises and her breathing felt odd and she felt a little sweaty, like she was wrapped up in too many blankets.

Then Sakura opened her tired, heavy eyes and saw the washed-out white ceiling and the clicking spinning fan. Her body felt like it weighed a tonne, and when she swallowed she began choking on a tube that was slid down her throat. Instantly she coughed, gagging, and by her side a nurse appeared, and then two more, holding her down. She felt so weak under their strength that she gave in, despite her heart pounding as if she'd run a marathon in just a couple of seconds.

The tube was pulled out and breathing was easier, but the oxygen sent her mind on a frenzy and she couldn't focus on anything. Pain assaulted her all of a sudden, coming in from all ends of her body, and Sakura closed her eyes, refusing a pained groan as she dreamed of a moment where she felt nothing but peace.

She felt scared of the pain, scared of the fact that she might be dying, scared of the image of Sasuke strangling her even though she knew it was Itachi who had her by the throat, scared of all the scattered illusions Itachi made her visit. Most of all, she was scared of the absolute darkness that came afterwards. The nothingness that she couldn't remember but she knew was missing, because she could feel that weight in her mind as if she had forgotten something; and something _important._

The blur that was a nurse leaned in closer and spoke slowly. Her words were garbled to begin with but gradually became clearer as Sakura's senses slowly returned to her. "—me? Sakura? You'll—ight."

She breathed through her nose and nodded, understanding enough to know what she was saying.

The nurse – blonde, big nose, full cheeks – remained holding her shoulders while the others disappeared. Sakura could feel her stroking her to calm her. "If you can hear me—kura. Try not—move."

Her eyes were so heavy. She closed them. She nodded. And she fell back to sleep.


	23. Promises

_Thank you to everyone. :)_

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE—<br>**_Promises_

* * *

><p>The Lake didn't appear to her again, and when Sakura opened her eyes once more, she remembered wondering if the whole thing was just a bizarre dream. It was most likely. Dreams could lead to an idea that could be pursued. But after just thinking about it started to give her a headache she instead focused on her surroundings.<p>

It was the same hospital room with the clicking fan and peeling white wall paint. It was early morning, she guessed, judging by the direction and amount of light filtering in through the curtain-drawn window, and there was the faint scent of rain as well. The smell of it was instantly calming.

The next thing she noticed was the lily filled vase on the bedside table and then the gentle weight of something on her arm. Still drugged, Sakura looked to her left side, staring at the blonde boy sleeping with his hand over hers. A smile came to her lips. Naruto was without his headband and was dressed in casuals of black pants and orange top, a black jacket over it. He breathed evenly and with his mouth open, like he was just getting over a cold or something. He sniffled and she knew she was correct.

It was then she spied something darker in the corner of her eye and found Sasuke slipping out of his chair to her left. His arms were crossed, his head bowed low and his legs tucked under the chair. Asleep. He was dressed in civilian clothes as well; black pants and long sleeved white shirt. She could see white bandages peeking out around his neck, which she assumed was the wound from Samehada.

In that moment, Sakura was relieved. She had forgotten briefly that he had been injured, and so to see him – _them_ – alive and well, it was a huge relief. Her smile widened and she closed her eyes, feeling the tire return. She swallowed, coughing at how dry her throat was, but could see no water nearby.

She didn't have to press the button to call any nurses. The door opened softly, alerting her with a simple click, and she saw Kakashi slip in and then close it behind himself. He turned back and stopped short.

"You're awake," he murmured.

Sakura shrugged slightly and exhaled.

"There's a lot to catch you up on," he said, stepping over to the foot of her bed. He didn't waste any time. "I assume you're aware of the standard procedure of your situation?"

A small frown and then a nod. He sat beside Naruto's arms.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

Kakashi was patient while Sakura cautiously ran over the brittle memories. The ones of her time with the Akatsuki were jumbled like the mixed pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Their audio was distorted, and many of them were blurred due to uncertainty. She knew of the illusions – could remember _those_ clearer than anything else – but then she hit a black wall and nothing.

"I don't… know," she said. "It's all a mess."

"That's alright. Don't push yourself. The Interrogation Unit is interested in anything you might've heard or seen during your time missing, however they will not push you into remembering. After they've learned that you've been traumatised by something, they'll encourage the hospital to assign a counsellor to help regain your memories."

Sakura looked up at her sensei slowly.

Kakashi frowned. "They know something important, don't they?"

She didn't know for sure but her gut told her that they did, and that she was also forgetting something just as important. "Possibly."

His expression softened. "Sakura," Kakashi began, and his voice suggested that it was something significant, something that had to be said so she'd understand despite the fact that he was aware of her identity. "You were taken by the Akatsuki two weeks ago and found six days ago. That's eight days missing. And the state you were in when you were found suggests that _something_ happened."

"My state?"

"I'm sorry, Sakura." That was it. He wasn't going to tell her.

Some part of her was relieved that he'd hide this information from her, but the rest of her was desperately, dangerously, curious to find out what it was, even when the rising panic at the sight of his expression surged inside her. Images of a fight going on returned to her, but she had the feeling that she escaped that relatively unscathed.

She pursed her dry lips, licked them, and exhaled, wincing at the pinching in her ribs. For a second she thought she saw Kakashi raise a hand to her in concern, but he casually instead ran it through his silver hair.

"For now, I think, you should focus on healing your body and mind," he said. "You don't need anything more."

"The Interrogation Unit may let it slip," she responded.

His eye darkened. "No. They won't. And don't ask them Sakura. Trust me. You don't need to know anything more. Just let yourself heal."

His tone was firm, final, and Sakura nodded in resignation. She knew firsthand what it meant when she, herself, told someone not to think any more on their situation, and just on that alone many would try to figure more out because curiosity was damning. She knew he spoke for her sake. She knew how annoying it was when the patients didn't listen. And so she settled back into the comfortable cot, obeying.

"It will take longer for you to recover, this time," Kakashi said, fingering the spine of his book. "Tsunade left Konoha while we were still in Suna."

At this Sakura looked to Kakashi, eyes wide. "She's gone? Why?"

"I hear that she's on a quest. What kind, I don't know. I'm not privy to the details."

Which was odd. If the mission was at all related to her situation, then shouldn't she deserve to know?

Sakura closed her eyes as Shikamaru's – well, _her_ words – returned to memory; to let things go, to understand that she couldn't control everything of the fate of this world, that she shouldn't be playing god. Now, in reality, it was easier to succumb to this thought, and once more she relaxed. She didn't have to worry. She didn't doubt that she would eventually just because it was who she was, but things are different enough now that she didn't need to take hand; now the Hokage could.

"That's alright," she said. It was good to wonder about the future now, even if it was just a little.

"As for your recovery, I think I may know something that can help." Kakashi was grinning, and after she quirked an eyebrow at him, he gestured to the two boys with his book. "These two have been here since you woke up briefly yesterday," he informed her gently, then whacked both boys over the head. Sasuke jerked awake, sliding the rest of the way off his seat and face-planting into Naruto's back. Naruto blinked blearily and lifted his head, pouting at his sensei and rubbing the sore spot.

"What was that for?" he complained.

A single point at Sakura and both boys were as awake as the sun. Naruto's smile lit up the room and he scrambled onto her bed, practically straddling her to hug her, and Sakura would have let him at any other moment but he hit a sore spot and she cried out in pain. Sasuke instantly shoved him off, then a little more coolly pulled Naruto's chair closer to the bed and sat back down. The expression on his face was something she couldn't quite decipher.

Naruto was stuttering, unable to find a way to start a sentence that he couldn't properly form either. His lack of words was unusual, and knowing that it was due to his concern made Sakura warmer inside. In the end he sat on the bed where Kakashi had.

"Sakura, I could kiss you right now!" he exclaimed.

All she could do was smile. Until Naruto had crawled over her body, she hadn't realised just how damaged she was. She was bandaged up from practically head to toe.

"Naruto, relax," Sasuke said, sparing the blond a glance.

Naruto snorted. "Oh, so _now_ you're all calm and cool."

"Naruto."

Naruto ignored him and jabbed a thumb at him, talking to Sakura. "You should have seen him when he woke up after we got back."

"As I recall, you were running around like a headless chicken yourself." Sasuke scowled.

Naruto gestured to himself. "Me? Yes. Totally normal. You? No way. Seriously, Sakura, we _agreed_ on something. Actually, I shouted something, he agreed, and then he got more worked up than I did."

"Shut up."

"We had been trying to get ourselves on the teams that went out to look for you, but the Hokage shot us down every time because of liability or whatever. Sakura. Seriously. He got angry."

"_Naruto_."

"He scared me so much with how much he agreed with everything I said! It's like we swapped personalities! He did all the talking and I did all the… silencing…. And then when you were found, he went, like, totally insane! I thought he was angry before but clearly I hadn't seen nothing yet, because when he was denied on the Rescue team, he went ballistic!"

"_Shut your mouth."_

"Okay, okay, so I was exaggerating the last part or so, but the point is, he was worried. And if I didn't hate him so much, I'll admit that it's kinda cute." Naruto finished with a tiny single shoulder shrug.

Sakura, barely able to take all of that in, looked over their shoulders at Kakashi for confirmation. He sighed, shoulders drooping. "It's certainly good to have you back, Sakura," he said weakly. And oddly that said it all; explained how harried and concerned they were, how at odds they were.

Naruto was to be expected, but Sasuke did come as a bit of a surprise. He may have tempered a lot more than the first time she'd gone through all this, but it was still startling to learn that he was as forward about his concern as Naruto. Although, Sakura remembered, she had been taken by his brother. It had gotten more personal for Sasuke the second he learned she was gone, and by whom.

Naruto was still grinning from ear to ear, apparently happy to just bask in the fact that she was alive. Sasuke was busy trying to get rid of his blush (from anger or embarrassment, she didn't know).

She cracked a smile. "I thought worrying was my job."

Naruto laughed, and Sasuke grabbed her wrist through the sheet. He didn't even seem to realise he'd done it. "I guess we just took over for a while. But you can have it back." He sighed tiredly. "It's a… little exhausting."

"It's full-time."

The hard edges of his face softened. "Must be how a mother feels."

Kakashi's clapping broke the short silence thereafter. "Alright, you two boys. I technically shouldn't have even allowed you have your little reunion. The staff need to be informed, and – well, so on and so forth. Come on. Out. Chop chop."

Naruto grumbled as he slid off the bed. Sasuke rolled his eyes, but in the same reluctant manner as Naruto, he rose from his seat and followed the orange-clad shinobi out.

"See you soon, Sakura!" Naruto shouted just before the door shut behind Kakashi.

Alone in the room, Sakura exhaled in a rush, wincing at the pinches and aches and throbs that came from all over her body and didn't let up. It was sudden but durable, appearing only because she now had nothing to distract herself with. The pain remained as an insistent fly that she focused on ignoring, and to her relief it wasn't long before the same nurse she recalled last time swept in and smiled in relief at the sight of her, while also carrying in a much needed glass of water. She helped Sakura up, and through it Sakura was mentally assessing what sort of pain came from which part of her body.

She stopped when she realised that Kakashi had been right in not telling her the state she had been brought in. She didn't have the energy to properly investigate, but she knew that the damage had been bad and most definitely life-threatening.

That thought brought a hot flush to her as she wondered _what _exactly had happened during those missing days. What had she gone through? God, she really wanted to know, but was too scared to learn of it. She couldn't remember it for a reason.

She inhaled a lung full of air and exhaled, willing herself to relax. _Just focus on recovering._

She did. For the next week or so Sakura remained in the same hospital room, enduring the sponge baths and inspection of her wounds, one of which that would leave a big scar across her chest. Over the time she gradually let herself find out more about the origin of her wounds, but far too often whenever she focused she'd get a flash of the pain that had her sweating in fear afterwards.

It was scarily uncontrollable, that more and more she dreaded the Interrogation Units visit. She took solace in the ones from her teammates, who tried to say hello at least once a day, but they wanted to talk about what had happened, wanted to apologise and tell her more about what had happened their end, and each time they – Naruto, really – careened too far into sensitive territory, Kakashi pulled them away; although they did talk about her cut hair at one point, which twigged a memory of her slicing through it to escape.

Sasuke always seemed to appear like he was bursting at the seams. Kakashi privately disclosed his reason with a few words: "you were stolen by his brother, Sakura."

Others had visited as well. Hinata came to give tips of the healing ointment her clan made. Neji would be with her, and while they were clearly at odds with each other still it was good to see that they could at least tolerate each other more. Neji, though, would stand at the back, watching Sakura with hawk eyes. She had a flash of him once, of him leaning over her, but she chose not to think more of it.

Shino and Kiba came the second time Hinata did, and then Tenten and Lee, who were loud enough the nurses had to ask them to leave. Tenten was a little embarrassed. Chouji and Shikamaru came bearing gifts. The former did at least, with a basket of fruit which had to have been expensive considering a lot of the fruits were not in season anymore. The sight of Shikamaru, however, had Sakura recalling the memory – or now dream, it felt – of when he appeared to her as her sub-conscious.

He didn't say much, instead letting Chouji talk away about anything and everything, but the way he looked at her made her wonder if he somehow knew exactly what she thought of him.

Of all visits, though, it was her parents that had her choking back tears. They were crying the moment they stepped into her room, crying harder as they hugged and kissed her, and Sakura could tell that they wanted to tell her the exact same things Naruto and Sasuke wanted to tell her; how bad they heard she had been, how worried they were. But once she started on the topic of their pottery business, those dark thoughts of worry was put aside and they regaled the days they'd had, and any other bit of gossip or rumour they thought she'd be interested in. All of it was civilian related. Like the others, they didn't stray into ninja talk. Kakashi had made his point quite clear then.

Winter had begun days ago.

Rain fell intermittently during Sakura's stay in the hospital and a small storm had passed by as well, flashing webs of lightning across the darkened sky and growling thunder through the streets. She left the curtains drawn so she could see the fleeting sparks of light.

Her wounds were slowly healing but no amount of visits from her loved ones helped to quell her mind. Sakura was constantly trying _not_ to think about what she forgotten but she'd always end up back to it anyway. It was maddening that she couldn't get a moment's peace of mind to herself without needing someone else beside her; although she was able to piece together the jigsaw of memories with Akatsuki so that a conclusion until the black wall was becoming clearer.

Over the next few days it had gotten worse, to the point she was afraid to fall asleep in case the memories did return and she'd wake up to realise that whatever had scared her was still her reality. It became harder when she knew the Interrogation Unit was due any day now. What if they hit a soft point that had her brain unleashing everything at once? What if they hit any part of her walls and the memory of it was bad enough she had to start repairing herself all over again?

She was terrified. And telling herself not to be terrified was _not_ helping.

Eventually the fear of it all settled to a point where it was like being nervous for an exam; it became a numbing sensation and the tired anger and adrenaline of just wanting to get it over and done with. To her luck that was the day the Unit came in, and like an exam she studied endlessly for she didn't feel quite prepared.

It was raining outside. She listened to it, meditating, when the door opened and a shinobi wearing the crest of the Interrogation Unit on black uniform walked in, followed by a second. They were both tall with different body types. One was muscular, most likely an intimidator by presence and appearance, and had short blonde hair and a single grey eye; his other was missing, a concave of skin pulled over the socket. The other was lanky and wore his jacket unzipped to reveal a white shirt. His brown hair spooled about his shoulders in long length, and he had lavender eyes. A Hyuuga.

This one nodded in greeting to her before dragging up a stool and straddling it. The other closed the door and stood in front of it.

"We'd been receiving updates on your mental health since you woke up," the Hyuuga said. "And while Kakashi told us that you do remember most things, just out of order, it is essential you are still questioned in case you've been compromised. I'm sure you know what that means."

She nodded. It meant she had to be ready for any sort of shit.

"Alright. What was the last thing you remember?"

This she knew. She'd whittled it down recently. "Cutting my hair," she said bluntly.

The Hyuuga blinked. "Good. You seem to have a grasp of the order of things. So tell me, Sakura. Why did you cut your hair?"

She furrowed her brow and said slowly, "to escape."

"From?"

"Itachi."

"Okay. And where was his partner at that moment?"

Sakura sighed, running the events through her mind in order. "We were attacked one morning. Kisame remained to fight the enemy, but Itachi and I were pursued by bandits when we tried to run. It was then I tried to escape."

"Uh huh." The Hyuuga nodded, tapping his fingertips together. "I can let you be vague with the details as you are still recovering from the ordeal with the addition of a trauma, but let it be known that I _know_ that you _are _skimping on something."

His look was firm. Sakura agreed.

"So! Up until the point of this ambush you had been in the hands of the enemy. Now, when we found you, you had been missing for eight days, and who knows how many of that was you injured. It is safe to assume then that during that time you had been interrogated, tortured even, for information. Since you seem to have a firm grasp of the order of events leading to the end of the ambush, can you tell me what happened during your time with the enemy?" It wasn't a question but an order.

Sakura's throat clamped up. "Yes. Itachi cast genjutsu on me."

"How many times?"

"Several. A night."

"And did they let you rest?"

She inhaled, looking away. "Itachi was injured during the fight with Sasuke."

"Go on."

"We made a deal. They would let me go free if I healed him."

"And what of the information they had captured you for?"

"I wouldn't be released unharmed. I knew that. I knew that by the end of it they would destroy my mind so that I wouldn't remember anything, but I made the deal to prolong things. I hoped that I would be found by the time my skills became useless to what his injury had progressed to."

"And what had his injury progressed to?"

Her hands clenched around the white sheets. "He has function of his arm but has lost all feeling."

The Hyuuga hummed in understanding. "So after a night's sleep, I assume, they had you use what little chakra you had til depletion on his injury, and while exhausted from travelling, would take advantage of your weak state to throw you into _several_ genjutsu."

"Yes."

"What you're saying then is that when these genjutsu were cast on you, your mental barriers, your defences, would have been weakened from the lack of everything else, thus allowing him to probe for information."

"Yes."

"In essence, you could have told him anything and everything."

"No," she said, resolute. "I remember everything in those illusions. I remember fighting him at every chance I could get. Besides, I doubt I would have had anything about Konoha that they'd need to kidnap a genin kunoichi for."

The Hyuuga snapped his fingers, smiling. "Ahh! So why did they capture you in the first place?"

Trapped.

Her brow crinkled, eyes moistening with unshed tears. "I don't know."

The brunette itched behind his ear, then grunted and pulled at the collar of his jacket to straighten it. With a smile that set her on edge, he leaned on the back of the chair once again, arms crossed over each other, and said, "you're lying to me, Sakura."

Her eyes flickered to the other interrogator at the door, who stiffened the moment her attention turned to him. "I can't," she whispered.

The Hyuuga tilted his head to the side, mockingly straining to hear her. "'You can't' what? You know what happens if you don't tell us, Sakura. You're withholding information, which can be considered traitorous to the village." He leaned in. "Why did they capture you? Sasuke, with a relation to Itachi, I understand. Kakashi, I would understand. But why did they capture you? What about _you_ caught their interest?"

It was like he knew about her secret and was goading her into spilling it. The urge to do just that lodged in her throat.

"Do you know something? Are you affiliated with this group?" The accusations just kept coming. An endless stream. The Hyuuga stood. "The most important question I suppose I should ask is: do you think that they got whatever information they wanted from you in the first place?"

Sakura snapped. "I don't know!"

Then a memory returned. An image of Itachi's face just before she cut her hair. Why she didn't remember that earlier, she didn't know. But she knew how to answer his question as Itachi's expression lingered in her mind, the confusion, that at that time she couldn't quite decipher, evident in his eyes amidst the panic.

"No. No, they didn't."

Because he hadn't. He had seen a lot of queer things, and yet he couldn't make sense of them. He'd seen plenty, but he didn't _know_ anything; just that she was odd, and maybe also that she could be of benefit.

She forced herself to not dwell on the fact that he didn't pull her into an illusion at that moment either to keep her.

"You seem confident," the Hyuuga said. "What did you just remember?"

"Just… by how they acted," she responded.

He crossed his arms and straightened. He didn't say anything for a few good moments until he sighed. "That will be all for today, I think."

"What?" Sakura said.

He stood. "The nurses told us you are healing well, and that you'll be dispatched soon. Congratulations."

She will be? She hadn't heard much about her release as she knew that the Interrogation Unit had to visit her before that happened. "Thank you."

"We'll visit you again, Sakura," he said.

She nearly asked them why they'd leave the questioning at that. They had to be suspicious of her. Her response had not answered the initial accusation which she _knew_ was still a main cause of concern of them, so why were they leaving?

Sakura breathed. A tactic, perhaps, to lull her into false security?

"Okay."

The Hyuuga tilted his head in farewell and his companion opened the door, casting her a final look before they left. She realised she didn't care why all too much. She was just glad they were gone for now.

True to their words, in the next few days the casts were finally off and she could stretch her limbs, although gently. They were incredibly stiff that she released a moan of relief when her muscles expanded. To her pleasure she was also given permission to meander, as long as she promised to not push herself; and as a budding medic, she should know when to rest.

That night the rain came down intermittently. Sakura remained in bed watching it through the drawn curtains. With a smile she slid out of bed slowly, grabbed a hospital shawl and tentatively walked to the balcony door. Her legs were still a little weak.

She was greeted with a rush of cool air and slid the shawl over her shoulders. The concrete was even colder against her warm feet, but the thrill of it shot through her body like fireworks. The rain was wonderful against her flushed cheeks.

The sky was black, the moon just visible as a very faint glow behind the dark clouds. Lights were on, scattered about Konoha like immobile fireflies, giving the village a special kind of radiance with the aid of the misty rain.

"Sakura."

She whirled and found Sasuke perched on the rail, his hair flat with rain. His clothes – of long black pants and a loose, navy shirt – stuck to him like a second skin. He hopped down onto the balcony.

"Sasuke," she greeted, a note of confusion in his name. "What are you—you're hurt!"

She sped over to him and raised a hand to his bleeding cheek but he grabbed her hand in coarse fingers and pulled her away.

"I'm alright."

Sakura didn't believe him. Something about this gnawed at her, and it took another once over his body, at his cuts and scratches she didn't see before but now visible through holes torn in his clothes, before she realised it. Was this the night he left Konoha? Had he just been attacked by Orochimaru's minions?

She looked at him imploringly, searching for answers. "Why are you here?"

"Why are you out in the rain?" he shot back, leading her back to the open door. "You're still recovering."

Sakura stepped away, removing her hand from his wet grip. "I'm fine, too. But you're concerning me."

"Because I'm on your balcony?" His voice was half teasing and half serious.

"It's not every day my teammate shows up at night on my balcony." She smiled. "Watching me sleep, Sasuke? How stalker-ish of you."

He had the confidence to blush before he turned away. He inhaled deeply and then released the breath. "I need to check something," he said. "I need to do something."

For a moment it felt like her heart had stopped at those words. Hope glimmered.

"What?"

"It's not a confession, Sakura."

She frowned. "I gathered."

He looked back to her, eyes dark, water rivulets tracing his face. He hesitated to begin, but he did, with quiet words she almost couldn't hear.

"I hate this place."

Sakura tensed in defence.

"I hate what it does to me. I hate what all the people _in_ it do to me."

Bumps sprouted on her skin and she waited with bated breath.

"But most of all, I hate what _you_ do to me; what Naruto does to me. And Kakashi. I just hate you."

He took a step towards her, and then another, until he was standing right before her and she was staring into his eyes. Part of her wanted to step back, but there was no way she could. She was left to his scrutiny, and she, his. His skin was pale from the cold, and his lips white. They quivered as he parted them again.

"But that's how you feel when it comes to family. Right?"

Sakura fell into silent awe, that spark of hope in her chest now burning so hot she could barely hold back those warm tears. Realising she hadn't responded yet she nodded, tacking on a tight, "yeah."

He pressed his lips together uncertainly. "I've lost my family before. And I've lost my brother. I refuse to lose you guys too."

She was stuck in a trance, those words ringing in her mind like a sweet melody she could listen to over and over again. The song only ended when stiff arms fitted unnaturally around her neck and she was pulled in to a shivering body. She could still vaguely smell blood, but it was his scented candles – _pine_ scented candles – that clung to him the most, even in the rain.

"Sakura?" a new voice came. "Sasuke?"

Both ninja turned to the open door, seeing Naruto standing there looking between them in confusion.

"Did I… miss something?" he asked, raising a finger. "Why are you—what the!"

Sasuke had reeled him into the hug beside Sakura, arms loose around both their necks and his chin resting in the curves of their touching shoulders. Naruto stiffened.

"I promise I won't ever abandon this family."

At the end of the night Naruto had no clue what was going on, though knew it was something important if _the_ Sasuke Uchiha initiated contact – and a _hug_ at that. And unbeknownst to Sasuke, Sakura knew exactly what was happening, and had those warm tears of joy running down her face as she rested her head against his shoulder, an unbreakable smile on her lips.

* * *

><p>Sasuke's apartment was dark.<p>

He stepped into it soaking wet, water dripping from his clothes into a puddle already forming at his feet by the entrance. He had stopped, hand on the handle of the door, and then he closed it, lifting his head to look about his home.

Rain drops coated the many windows lining the wall, and sporadically lightning gleamed to illuminate just how empty the room was and felt. It was rather spacey, with Sasuke only requiring the minimum of furniture as he spent most of his time outside training anyway.

There were the essentials: a futon, cupboard, set of drawers, then the kitchen in the same room with a bathroom through a door. In one corner of the room, on the far side, was a collection of kunai and shuriken, empty scrolls, tinder, a grinding rock and pouches of replacements on the floor. Coils of string were piled, and there was an open chest up against the wall beside all this mess.

Silently Sasuke turned on the light.

He had just returned from meeting Sakura at her hospital room, and Naruto, who had showed up at the same time. Recalling what had happened, what he had admitted, made him stumble back into his door and lean his head against it, closing his eyes. A fist clenched tighter.

Up and down his body were bruises and bleeding cuts. His insides felt like mash that it hurt to breathe.

Those guys were strong; he couldn't deny it.

Five of them had showed up out of nowhere as he trained late at the usual Team Seven training ground just before evening. Already tired, Sasuke fought with them, managing to gain somewhat of an upper hand until they started an ability that made his blood boil in jealousy.

They had power. An insane amount of power. One of them beat him to a pulp, and then asked if he wanted this exact power. Because he could get it. He could take it. All he had to do was say yes and meet them outside the village at midnight. And he was tempted, for far longer than he would like to admit.

He then remembered his team; everything he learned and felt in their time together, everything he thought. How he grappled with revenge and bliss, and how Kakashi made him believe that he could have both. For a moment, at seeing that insane power, Sasuke thought again that he couldn't.

Bliss and revenge did not go hand in hand.

But he didn't want to follow his brother. What he told Sakura was true; he didn't want to be like his sibling. Itachi killed and left. He ran away from their roots they called home. And Sasuke decided that leaving was too much like Itachi, too much like how the older wanted him to be moulded; to give up everything for hate to kill him, to do what he said.

Sasuke wasn't going to give it all up. He'd get revenge in his own way, with these people by his side. He'd prove to his brother that hate was not a solitary journey. He'd prove it because that's what younger brother's did to upstage their idols, no matter how much time had weathered the visage.

He hated this village. He hated these people. He hated his friends, and he hated his brother. But at the same time in some warped sense of way he loved them all too; even the man he wanted to kill.

Seeing Sakura and Naruto earlier had cemented these thoughts in his mind. It was the hardest decision he thought he'd ever make, but deciding this course of path lifted a giant weight off his shoulder. There was still strength in Konoha, found in the form of his peers he was beginning to see as a new sort-of family. Kakashi was right about that.

Pushing himself off the door, Sasuke grabbed at the back of his wet shirt and pulled it over his head, pitching it into the hamper by the cupboard. He strolled to his bed and unzipped his full purple backpack he had tossed on there before meeting his teammates at the hospital. Beside the bag was his hitae-ate he left behind.

Grasping it, he sauntered to his dresser and placed it there, then returned to unpack his bag.

He had come far too close to leaving Konoha. Far closer than he would ever care to admit.


	24. Season Of Change

_Over 900? Guys, I'm-I'm... amazed. Thank you so much. :) And I'm so glad that Sasuke's (or Team 7's, in general) progression seems believable to you all. It's a comfort to me to know that I'm doing something right. So, thank you all. _

* * *

><p>—<strong>CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR—<br>**_Season Of Change_

* * *

><p>"Word is already spreading of the Akatsuki," a shadow said. "It wasn't meant to happen so soon. Or quickly."<p>

"I know."

"Would this change plans?"

"No. We have time. The world can know our name and what we look like, but as long as they don't know our plan; our endgame…"

A beat. "And the girl?"

"What of her?"

"Itachi admits that she is odd. She may require supervision." The other didn't respond. "She reacted to the cloaks as if she was familiar with it."

"I agree. That is strange. But it can be also written off as simple paranoia."

"We both know that is not the case. Kisame gave a lengthy detail of her fighting tactics, of how she handled the genjutsu Itachi cast on her."

"There are prodigy's in the making everywhere."

"So you're choosing to ignore this threat?"

"Of course not. Do you think I'm a fool? It will be a waste of time to have her watched. Just kill her."

* * *

><p>Sakura couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't sit still either, and had to convince a nurse to let her wander the hospital corridors otherwise she might just go insane, or start doing push-ups in her room – and tear all her stitches. The staff in charge of her were delighted to see that she was so lively in her recovery, and even teased her about a possible male who might have visited her and hadn't left her mind since.<p>

She'd giggle, partly because it was true. Sasuke hadn't left her mind. His words hadn't. His expression as he said them hadn't either.

Was he telling the honest truth? Did he truly intend to stay? What would happen through this decision? What would happen to, well, pretty much the entire future she knew if he _didn't_ leave? All at once she was both utterly excited for what could now happen, and also terrified.

Oh God, the possibilities.

"Good morning, Sakura," a voice sang by her side.

She stiffened, frowned at the newcomer and sucked in a breath. It was the Hyuuga interrogator. He smiled pleasantly, but she didn't feel calm at all by the sight of it. He tilted his head in the direction she was going.

"Walk with me?"

"I think…" She sighed. Let the questions come. She didn't want it to spoil her good mood. That, coupled with everything she'd gone through and said, was too much of a booster. "I think it's more like you walking with me."

"Indeed." His smile widened in amusement.

She continued and he followed by her side, hands in the pockets of his trackpants. Belated she noticed that he was wearing casual clothes, so maybe he wasn't there to question her. They had no set path as they walked, passing the staff who nodded in greeting and other patients in wheelchairs or also moving about the halls. Sakura recognised some of them, more by their voices whenever they passed her room while she was bedridden.

"You're doing well," he said suddenly.

Sakura nodded, although her leg was beginning to ache.

"I've heard that you've been a good mood."

"Yep."

"Any particular reason?"

"Must there be?"

He shrugged. "Eh. I suppose not."

"Where's your partner?" she asked. She glanced over her shoulders, half expecting to see the larger, bulkier man following behind them at a distance.

"Mado? Elsewhere."

"And…" She frowned. "What is _your_ name?"

"Jin. Hello." He chuckled.

"Hello," she said dryly. "Why are you here?"

"Hmmmm." He kicked at the ground, straightening his back. "Well, it's been a few days since our last chat. I thought it'd be time to catch up again."

So she was wrong about the casual. "Alright."

He slung an arm around her shoulder and reeled her in, but before she could react he spoke into her ear. "Mind telling me why the Hokage prohibits me from questioning you?"

Sakura shifted so that she could meet his heavy gaze. Her forehead brushed against his stubbled cheek, making her cringe and try and step back. He held on tight. "What?"

"So you don't know. I had thought that maybe he would have interrogated you personally…"

"He has," she said. Well, it was only a half fib. He had questioned her before regarding her situation but not about her time in the hands of the Akatsuki. What Jin was wanting to know was essentially the same thing.

He leaned back, though kept his arm around her. "It's suspicious, still."

"Don't you trust your Hokage?" she shot back.

Jin narrowed his eyes and loosened his hold. "I'm loyal to him and to Konoha. It is my duty to investigate anything that is suspicious. If the Kazekage could be replaced in secret, then who is to say that our own leader can't succumb to another evil influence? And it wouldn't be his fault," he added quickly. "Often I've seen a strong comrade be killed because their enemy took advantage of a fatal flaw. It happens to the best of us."

Sakura chose to keep her mouth shut by the tone of his voice. It was always hard to read the expressions of a Hyuuga, mainly due to their vacant eyes, but their voice could often expose them. His was straying into apologetic, regretful, and for a Hyuuga that tended to be territory better left not treaded.

"I understand. And I wish I could simply say everything you need to know, but I don't know it. I don't know why Sasuke's brother and his partner kidnapped me. I don't know what information they seemed to think I have. I don't know why the Hokage told you not to investigate me. But I promise that I am just as loyal, and if I think that I have betrayed this village, I would tell you." She lied. So many times in one speech. And he'd know it, too. It would probably fuel his interest in the matter, but what else was there to say? He wouldn't leave her alone.

Jin smiled uncertainly. "Lying to me again, Sakura." He stepped back. "I promise, then, young genin, that if I do any investigating of your matter you wouldn't even know it."

"And that's meant to placate me?" she asked.

He chuckled. "I said 'if'. I'm under orders, remember?"

There was a shout down the corridor, one that caught everyone's attention. Sakura looked, stretching to her tippy toes to see what was going on, but the pain of it had her settling back down. The small weight of his hand left her shoulder and she looked back to where Jin was. He was gone.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek and leaned against the wall, wishing she had a seat just beneath her so that she could collapse into it. Her legs ached from the use, and the joy was still there but it had simmered. Now she was tired.

Grabbing a passing nurse, Sakura was aided in her trek back to her room. She hadn't realised she had wandered so far, that by the time they had returned her wounds were aching from the stress and she was panting and sweating. That hospital room was quickly becoming far too familiar to her. She couldn't wait to go back home and heal there; couldn't wait to actually shower without anyone assisting her.

The nurse checked the wounds, saw there was nothing wrong, and with a broad smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder, she headed for the door, talking about bringing her some food. The sound of that word had Sakura's stomach grumble. The door opened suddenly, nearly hitting the nurse, and Sasuke walked in holding a knapsack. He cast the startled nurse a look, frowning at her reaction and her realisation of food in his hand, before she let herself out, murmuring under her breath.

The door closed. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. "You don't look well," he said.

Sakura blinked herself out of the surprise of seeing him here – and with food! Sure, she'd noticed that he had changed a lot the past year from the old thirteen year old she knew, but this was too quick a change for overnight.

"I don't look well?" She'd been glowing, apparently, just an hour ago. That talk with Jin must have brought her down from that high faster than she would have liked.

"You look sick. Caught a cold from last night?" he asked, resting the knapsack on the end of her bed.

"No. Took a walk." Sakura eyed him warily; to the food, back to him, then to the food.

"Tch. Stupid." He gestured to the balcony door. "Let's eat outside. It's sunny."

"And cold."

"But sunny."

It took a couple of minutes to settle themselves outside on the chairs they had pulled from inside. Sakura had complained the entire time how she had just gotten herself into bed when she was being forced to move again, and all Sasuke said was 'hm'. Very eloquent, she thought. But she had to admit, it was nice outside.

The rain from the early morning left a glistening glow to the greenery and metal work, and from their view everything looked wholly refreshed, like nothing had ever been wrong with Konoha to begin with. The Hokage Mountain had finally been repaired and all the rubble and destroyed houses long since restored to their previous state.

Sakura frowned, though, when she looked to the east and saw black smoke rising above the tree tops and rooves. Last night had been the first time she'd left her hospital, so she hadn't noticed it then. She turned to Sasuke who was unpacking two bento – a third was at the bottom, which she suspected was going to belong to Naruto, thus making this a team outing.

"What's that smoke?" It looked familiar. Very familiar.

Sasuke handed her bento to her. "Itachi."

_Ahh, yes. Amaterasu._

"I haven't heard a single thing about what's happened since I've woken up."

"What do you want to know first?"

She fought a smile. "You mean you'll tell me?"

"Maybe."

Running her hands over the polished wood of the bento lid, she thought about it. "What did happen here?"

"Apparently Itachi and his partner arrived in Konoha soon after we left. Tenten, Hinata and Shino fought with them before the two fled to the east wall. We had fortified it. Itachi was forced to use his Sharingan." He spoke monotonously, as if the subject was of little interest to him or was simply about the weather. He pulled out his chopsticks. "As you've already seen the others, you'll know they're alright."

Sakura's eyes widened. Very different from what happened the first time. The Hokage had certainly increased the numbers on the walls to force Itachi's hand like that.

Sasuke stuffed a cut tomato into his mouth. "You're not eating."

"Oh. Right." She took off the lid and clipped her chopsticks. Seeing the food her stomach grumbled loudly again. It looked good. It smelled great. "Did you cook this?"

Sasuke half chuckled and half scoffed. She took that as a 'no'.

Sakura paused. Then glared at him. "My mum cooked it, didn't she?"

Sasuke glanced at her before taking another bite.

"Where's Naruto?"

He poked at the marinated pork. "I told him to meet us at eleven."

"It's ten."

"I wanted to talk about… something."

Sakura sighed. "He's going to complain, you know."

"Heh. With how fast we eat, he'll have finished the same time we do."

"Fine. What did you want to talk about it?" At last she hefted a big glob of rice to her mouth, ignoring Sasuke's disgusted look as she tried to fit it in.

He squeezed at the juicy meat of his own meal. "How is Itachi?"

Sakura choked. She tried to breathe but she couldn't. She wanted to spit out the rice but that was too personal to do in front of Sasuke, and she had to keep some of her reputation, right? Instead she clenched his shoulder as she calmed herself down and chewed largely until at last she could swallow it all.

That question was unexpected.

"I know," Sasuke said instead, before she could even begin on how to phrase her curiosity. "An odd question from someone who wants to kill him."

How _was_ Itachi? To be honest, she wasn't paying that close of attention to him to ponder how he was. Tired. Maybe lonely. But always calm. "He looked… fine. I suppose."

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

His head was bowed. "I got carried away. In the end he stole you from me. And hurt you. All that blood…"

Sakura furrowed her brow – and duly ignored the 'stole you from me' bit, putting that more towards him just being possessive in general. "All that blood?"

She didn't recall Itachi actually bleeding her at all.

"Was that from when I was found?" A time where she couldn't remember a thing.

Sasuke lifted his head. "Yeah… They really haven't told you anything."

Sakura shrugged. "Kakashi's orders."

He looked torn between telling her and not. "You were basically dead when they found you. Two Hyuuga kept you alive long enough until the team got you back to Konoha, and even then the medical staff nearly lost you."

Sakura's chopsticks hovered her food as she took in his words. She had nearly died?

_Weak. She felt so... so weak. So tired. It was hard to breathe. Every breath came out gurgled now. It… wasn't like that before. _

_She'd gotten worse. _

_Oh God, she'd gotten worse. _

_Touch was leaving her fingers, withdrawing back up into her body. Noises – were there… noises? – were muted. All she smelled was fresh water and blood. _

_She closed her eyes. Briefly. Just briefly. Then opened them. Someone was there. More someone's. People. _

_Good? _

_A swirly symbol on silver. Yes. Good. Konoha._

_Then lavender eyes. _

_Life slivered back into her. _

Sakura blinked rapidly, jerking back in her seat and nearly dropping the bento. Sasuke had a hand on it, head lowered to look up into her eyes that had gone wide with fright.

"Sakura?" he called. "Are you there?"

She coughed awkwardly. "Yes," she croaked. "Yes, I'm here."

She was back, but horribly unsettled.

"Eat," Sasuke demanded.

A part of her thanked God that in that flashback she didn't remember the pain. In the memory, though she knew was a time near to death, all she felt was numb.

She ate.

"Itachi didn't do that to you, did he?" Sasuke asked after a moment. Of course he wouldn't wait for her to get her breath back. At least she could answer the question without worry. She knew, for sure, that he hadn't damaged her.

Or did she?

Maybe he and Kisame had. Maybe, after she cut her hair, they found her and tortured her. Maybe they did break her mind. Maybe they did erase some memories.

But… she had so many broken bones. So many punctured limbs. So many gashes and cuts and bruises. Samehada didn't do those, unless Kisame changed weaponry, and he was the only one who would use physical violence for torture.

Did they torture her?

And what happened to Zabuza anyway?

"Itachi wouldn't. Kisame might have. If he did, it's the part I don't remember." She ate some more. "What happened on your end?"

Sasuke grunted. "Naruto described pretty much how it went. He complained, they yelled, I screamed, he jumped."

Sakura smiled teasingly, nudging his shoulder with hers. "Getting all worked up about my being captured."

"It was my fault," he said. "I just wanted to fix it."

She rolled her eyes. "It's no one's fault." A pause. "Well, yeah, actually, it was a little your fault. I mean, if you had just worked with us as a _team_ or not even followed your brother to _begin with_, maybe I wouldn't have been captured."

He stared. "I thought this was the part where you're meant to console me."

"Hey, _I_ was the one captured."

"I'm sorry!"

"Stop saying you're sorry!"

"You just admitted that it was my fault!"

"Because it was! But everyone makes mistakes; it's a part of life! You're only human, Sasuke!" Sakura swore she heard Ino's voice echo around hers, but it was gone in an instant.

He growled, tearing his eyes from hers to the food. If it were living it would have shrivelled to even less due to his intense look.

"Wow." Sakura breathed. "You've got some strong lungs. I can see why Naruto would jump."

"Shut up."

She rolled her eyes. "Now you've gotten all angry with me."

"Shut _up._"

She sighed, leaning against the wall. The food had no doubt gotten cold by now, and though she didn't feel at all full she couldn't be bothered eating, couldn't find the appetite any longer. Arguing took a lot out of her, especially on topics that left her on edge. The same was apparently true with Sasuke. His food was relatively untouched as well, except all the tomatoes were gone.

Sakura closed her eyes. It was chilly, but the sun felt nice shining on the balcony.

"In one of Itachi's genjutsu," she began, seeing him tilt his head in indication of his attention, "he brought out one of my fears. Actually, all of them were my fears. But there was one where… where you left Konoha. At night. In winter. For power."

She looked to him.

"It's no secret in Team 7 that you wanted power to defeat someone. I—"

"Any power I can get will be with my own two hands, will be here in Konoha, and will be through hard work and blood and sweat," he interrupted. "I'm not going to cheat my way into strength. I'll fight Itachi again with a power I've given myself on my own."

She smiled. "'Atta boy."

"I'm not a dog, Sakura."

She grinned, ruffling his locks. "Who is a good boy?"

He whacked at her, pulling away. "Sakura!"

"Who is?"

He fell off his seat, grunting. She laughed. "Dammit. Where's Naruto already?" he shouted.

"Boo!"

Sakura yelped and Sasuke punched at his blond teammate, who just swayed to the side. Naruto was grinning, hanging upside down from the low overhanging shade of the hospital.

He laughed heartily. "I got you guys so bad!" And even as Sasuke wrestled him down from the roof to shut him up, he still kept laughing, barely having the energy to fight back against his teammate.

Sakura bit her lip. Suddenly her appetite had renewed itself and she dug into her meal eagerly, watching the entertainment. It didn't last long. Naruto pulled himself away when he had gotten too hungry, and with a pointed expression on his face he looked at the food and then at his teammates.

"Hey. You've already started."

"You were late," Sasuke said.

Deadpanned, Naruto said, "It's ten to eleven—just how dumb do you think I am?!"

Sakura laughed as Sasuke ran a hand casually through his messy hair. "Sorry, Naruto. We just got hungry."

"Yeah. You better be sorry," he said, standing and going for the final bento box in the folds of the knapsack. He set upon both of them a final glare before settling on the ground opposite them, against the railings. In seconds he had lifted off the lid and was devouring the warm meal. "We should have a meal for all of us soon. Kakashi-sensei's been busy these days, with all his meetings and such."

"Meetings?" Sakura asked.

"They're organising another Chuunin Exams with the other villages," Sasuke explained.

"_Now_ you tell me?"

"There were other more… important things to mention," he shot back.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Besides, I'm not letting you into those exams until you're 100%! Which will be soon, right, Sakura?"

"I dunno. It depends on how far away the date is set."

"Plus the travel time to get there," Sasuke added. "It's already spreading that the next exam will take place in Iwagakure soon after Christmas."

_Christmas already? It's been nine months. Feels much longer. __  
><em>

"Neji says that his team will be travelling there for it," he continued.

Naruto made a noise of agreement through his food, and after swallowing it, held up his chopsticks. "Kiba told me they're trying to convince Kurenai-sensei to let them go as well. Plus there may be the new recruits that graduate at Christmas."

Sasuke scoffed. "Unlikely."

"What about… Shikamaru and Chouji?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke looked away. It was Naruto who answered, slowly. "I've heard they're waiting on some of our old classmates who failed. There might be someone in there who can join their team. They've still been doing D-ranked missions, mostly. Any ones out of Konoha are very easy, or they borrow another member; like Shino."

"I see."

"And then we're getting a new Hokage."

"What?" She seethed, glowering at the Uchiha. "You failed to mention this too, Sasuke."

"More important stuff," he mumbled.

"Who is he? She?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. Haven't heard a thing. I only know because of Konohamaru."

"Che." Sasuke crossed his arms. "He threw a fit when he eavesdropped on that conversation. Came straight to Naruto."

Sakura focused her attention on the blond, considering he seemed to be the only one giving her the answers he wanted. "Did they say when?"

He shrugged again. He spoke, but it was all muffled through food. She got the gist. He only knew as much as Konohamaru.

Sakura bit the end of her chopsticks in thought. A new Hokage? Who would it be? Tsunade was out of town. Unless she was wanting time to herself before taking the mantel, but… Kakashi said she was on some sort of mission from the Hokage.

"_I_ want to ask Kakashi-sensei about it, but _Sasuke_ won't let me," Naruto complained.

"Don't go spreading around rumours until the direct source has said it themselves," he said.

"Fine."

"I see how it is. A party, and _I'm_ not invited?" Kakashi was suddenly there, squatting on the railing behind Naruto's head, a hand in the air. "Yo."

There was a round of greetings and a single smile from Sakura. "I hear you've been going to a lot of meetings, Kakashi-sensei."

"Oh yes. They're torturously long." He rolled his head and sighed. "Sore neck."

"From sleeping through it, I bet," Naruto mumbled into his food.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"I thought so."

"And the Chuunin Exams?" Sasuke inquired.

"Took a little convincing but the other villages have agreed to let us participate if we think we can handle it." He paused, no doubt smiling behind his mask. "My, my, certainly into gathering intel today, students."

"Rusty."

"Bored."

"Out of the loop."

"Ahh yes." Kakashi sighed. "Team 7, people."

* * *

><p>Weeks passed. They trained, she watched. She moved around the hospital, getting to know the ins and outs of it in the time she had missed, and making note of any changes Tsunade had done. It was pretty much the same as how she'd set up the hospital in her time – the same medical ninja rules and everything – except that she wasn't there to lead it.<p>

Sakura would also see Chouji and Hinata walking through the corridors occasionally, and whenever she could she stopped them for a chat about anything. She found out that they were assigned to learn some minor medical skills for their team just in case. (Hinata had visibly become confident too, and she mentioned that things between the clan and Neji had started to resolve ever since her dad and he spoke in private.) When Sakura could finally walk around without getting tired she'd use her chakra at last to catch up on her skills. It was around this time that she was officially released from the hospital. She walked out, unabashed by the scars that littered her body, and the big nasty one on her chest.

She was eager to begin training again, and insisted on sparring with her teammates as soon as she could. At last they could train together. And then could go on missions.

It was a great feeling, being back. She didn't like hanging on the thought that there was still a blank spot in her memory, and so whenever she didn't have counselling sessions about it she did more activities to rid of it; train (experimenting on her sub-conscious 'block'), talk to people, volunteer for whatever she could. She began to integrate herself more into the life and society of Konoha, began to reconnect with people she once knew. She worked as a medic-nin in the hospital, asked Kurenai-sensei in assistance in genjutsu, helped her parents around the store when she had spare time and whenever she could she'd drop flowers at Ino's grave, often at a time when Kakashi would be at Obito's.

Every time she was tempted to tell him, but didn't. And every time she was tempted, she reminded herself of what her life was like before she arrived. She had more dreams about it, about the peace between the villages, about the almost monotony of life.

In actuality, her life before ending up in the past was almost perfect. Yes, friends and family had died during those years, in the war, and she'd cried a river of tears through it all, but in the end there was happiness at the end; sunlight.

She had no reason to change anything this time. Life was fine. Nothing was wrong. So she couldn't help but ponder if things will turn out the same this time 'round, or if it will all turn horrible?

It was weird, though, having Sasuke around – and Ino gone. Very weird. And happy. And depressing. All at once.

Christmas came and went. Team Gai and Team 8 left for the Chuunin Exams. Sunagakure became a powerful ally. Time just kept passing.

News of a new Hokage started to spread, and then it became official, but yet they said no name. Sarutobi had left big shoes to fill, bigger since the alterations he'd made to the systems of the schooling, distributions, defences and overall economy of Konoha had cast him in an even better light. Somehow he'd found ways to come back from the attack even greater than before, that Sakura expressed concern to Kakashi that the other villages may take this too much of a threat, like that of a bird spreading its feathers to intimidate.

It was quickly becoming the end of the first year she'd lived there. She'd already turned thirteen, now, and was one of the oldest of the Rookie 9; though it wasn't Rookie 9 for long, as Neji and Shino had returned from Iwagakure as Chuunin.

Things in Team 7 started to change more as well. Sasuke and Naruto both found other facets of training they wanted to focus on. While Kakashi was Sasuke's main teacher due to the Sharingan, he also trained a lot with Neji and a few other shinobi and kunoichi Sakura had begun to see him interact with over the months as well. He was certainly drawing talents from all over Konoha, and making a bit of a name for himself.

Naruto also had a reputation. Although it was similar to his old one, Sakura did witness a few moments where children ignored their parent's warnings and outright expressed their idolisation already to the blond, which really fed his ego. She figured Konohamaru had a bit of a hand in that. In regards to training he had completed his work on the Rasengan and was eager to find ways to change the ability to suit his needs; the same was being done with his Summoning jutsu. Sakura would also see him arriving back in Konoha at Jiraiya's side, to her relief.

It was in May when she learned of another bigger change coming her way; a change concerning her team. Although they still trained together, had missions together, their skills differed and required for them to look in other places. Kakashi was the instigator. He had actually organised a path for them from what he had seen in their growth, and if they so wanted they could take the opportunity.

Naruto would be leaving Konoha with Jiraiya. Sakura was both glad that he was because what he learned during his time away was almost necessary for him in the future. She still couldn't help that empty ache in her heart though, when she remembered that she wouldn't be near his infectious personality anymore. He always made her smile in some way.

Naruto, himself, didn't seem surprised by the news. She'd guessed that Jiraiya and Kakashi had made the idea known to him a long time ago.

Kakashi said he'd take Sasuke as his student officially. Although he didn't want to appear to be favouring a particular shinobi, he was the only one who could help the Uchiha with his Sharingan, so it was vital for his training.

For Sakura he had persuaded the Head Nurse at the hospital to take her in and train her. Although she knew just about as much, if not more, it was gaining that position in her field that was important.

Due to these changes, Team 7 was going to be on hiatus; just like the other 'Rookie' teams that were beginning to diverge as well.

Another month passed and Sakura was looking through the open gates of Konoha, at the road that disappeared eventually into the forest. Spring was starting to fade away to summer. The trees, though full and green almost all year round, were colouring lightly to warmer shades. By autumn someone would be assigned duty to rake the fallen leaves from the footpath.

She sighed and looked away. Naruto was going through his bag with Sasuke, who was helping his excited teammate on what to bring and not to bring. She'd seen – and helped at one stage – him at Naruto's apartment a few times to bring his backpack to an appropriate size, but the blond always stuffed something else into it that inflated it further. Currently there were a few instant ramen cups littering the ground as Sasuke combed his way through the bag and picked something else out, Naruto exclaiming that he 'needed that!' behind him.

Jiraiya and Kakashi conversed with Kotetsu and Izumo at the sign-in desk. She couldn't quite hear him.

"Sakura," a soft voice called.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Hinata approaching, a small knapsack in her hands. She was smiling, and over the past few months her hair had started to grow with her confidence. "Hey, Hinata."

She blushed. "I was worried I'd miss Naruto leaving."

Sakura grinned. "A farewell gift?"

Hinata lifted her shoulders shyly. "Well, I know he gets himself hurt a lot, I—I thought this medicine would be useful."

"You'd be right." _Even though the Kyuubi helps with the healing department._

"Come on!" said boy cried. "I can't have at least _one_ in there?!"

"No," Sasuke said, holding onto the bag when he came up to them.

Naruto followed behind him closely and grumbling, arms full of all the items the Uchiha had pulled out; ramen, magazines, a puzzle book.

"Hello, Hinata," the Uchiha greeted.

"Hi, Sasuke."

"Oh. Hey, Hinata!" Naruto grinned. "Come to see me off, have you? Thanks!"

She shrank a little where she stood. "I-It's alright. I brought you this too." She offered him the medical kit.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, muttering, "I just helped him pack his bag," and dumping said object on the ground as Naruto took the kit. Sakura giggled.

"Thanks, Hinata!" He rifled through it, asking a few questions on the items that Hinata eagerly answered, also suggesting best ways to apply the salve that she made personally, or how to open the scroll inside without it exploding in his face.

Hinata tucked her hair behind her ear, then turned to Sasuke. "And before I forget… Neji offers his help, if you want to accept it."

Sasuke flinched and Sakura and Naruto looked to him inquiringly.

"Help?" Naruto repeated.

"With what?" Sakura asked.

He looked away. "It doesn't matter." He glowered at the Hyuuga, who instead of shrinking at the sight sent him a suspiciously not-innocent smile. "You did that on purpose," he whispered.

Her cheeks bulged when her smile stretched to a grin that none of them had ever seen before. "I'm sorry," she said. Definitely not sorry.

"Che." Sasuke grunted.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, throwing his arm around his shoulder. "Tell us! We're your best friends!"

He shrugged him off. "My annoying friends, you mean."

"I'm wounded," Sakura said.

"At least he recognises us as his friends, Sakura," Naruto consoled.

"True. So spill, friend."

"Yeah! Or we'll ask Neji ourselves!"

Sasuke groaned. "What a gossip."

Sakura blinked in surprise. Neji? A gossip? Surely not.

He sighed. "I mentioned to him that I was thinking of cleaning the Uchiha compound."

Sakura stared in shock.

"What? And you didn't even tell us?" Naruto shouted.

"It was a passing thought, idiot!"

Sasuke? Clean the Uchiha compound? But… geez, she'd never thought of that as a possibility. Even if she did she thought it would be a long time before he'd even _entertain_ the thought. And what exactly did he plan to do with all the buildings? They remained abandoned due to Konoha issuing him an apartment more in the centre of the village and because he was one of the sole survivors of the clan it was still technically all in his name – unless he broke his ties. But if he had plans for them…? Would he? Would he allow other people to tread such ground?

The most surprising thing was, she supposed, was that although she'd seen so many changes in him she hadn't expected him to move this far on from what his brother had traumatised him with. Maybe just doing something with the compound made him feel better. Whatever the reason, it was scarily different to what she was used to and expecting.

Naruto crossed his arms. "I thought you were weird about your family's compound?"

Sasuke huffed. "It's getting dusty."

"Clean freak."

"Slob."

Sakura sighed. Hinata giggled.

She was going to miss this team interaction.


	25. Sighting The Sleeping Lion

—**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE—  
><strong>_Sighting The Sleeping Lion_

* * *

><p>Over the next week it had started to sink in for Sakura that the next three years – if that didn't change – would be a life without Naruto again. Yes, Konoha did seem less bright without his presence but she remembered just exactly how much she had changed during this time that she couldn't but look forward to it, of what new things she'd discover – and with Sasuke this time.<p>

Speaking of him, she hadn't actually seen him or Kakashi since they said their farewell to Naruto. She understood the jounin's need to focus on the Uchiha but still, it would have been nice to see them at least once during the week that had passed, and for the following. At least she wasn't without anything to do. In fact she was swamped, and often went to work at the hospital with major headaches due to trying out the 'sub-conscious' block. It put a huge strain on her, a toll she hadn't expected, and so was told to go home regularly because of it.

Her parents didn't complain. They loved to have her around, and didn't hesitate to show it; although she used this time to wander around the village.

As she did she noticed all the different things in Konoha; how a house was rebuilt a little taller so that it blocked a view she had been so used to seeing in her past life, how she could see more of the Hokage Mountain from a certain spot she used to visit that was once surrounded by trees, how there was a hawk perched on the lower branch of a—a hawk?

Sakura frowned. _A summon?_

"Her name is Emiri," someone said. She knew who it was before she even turned around.

Sasuke.

The hawk fluttered at the sound of its summoner's voice, chattering. She was caramel-coloured and her feathers were ruffled, but her golden eyes were gorgeous.

"When did you learn this?" Sakura asked.

The Uchiha moved up beside her, hands in the pockets of his shorts. "The first week Naruto left."

Vaguely Sakura recalled him being able to summon hawks but she couldn't remember if he had also learned that in Konoha or elsewhere. As for herself, she hadn't signed a contract with any animal until around the time of the Great War, and that was with the slugs. Would she attempt them again?

"What is Emiri like?"

Sasuke sighed. "She's always hungry." The hawk chattered, unfolding her wings and flapping them. "Now she's hinting."

Sakura smiled. "Subtle."

"Come."

She blinked, looking to him. "Come where?"

He tilted his head back towards the city centre. "My apartment. I need to feed her."

Sakura crossed her arms. "Must you say 'come'?"

He smiled at her, baring his teeth a little. He then frowned, surveying her. "Has your hair grown?"

"That's what hair does, Sasuke. Speaking of which, you could use a haircut." Despite that she unconsciously touched her locks. She had long since gotten used to the shortness again, when she would shower and wash her hair and have hand too soon sink into nothing. It was weird having to get used to its length again, and she had no idea how to style it. Most days she had it in a ponytail or a firm bun, but the rest of the time it was in a plait that looked like it was always falling apart.

Sasuke grunted and started walking away, to which she knew was a signal for her to follow. Sighing, and having nothing better to do, she followed after him. The entire walk to his apartment she questioned how he and Kakashi were going, and to his credit he actually answered a fair bit. He lessened the results of each of his training sessions but Sakura knew that Kakashi could be - and would have been - a slave-driver when it came to it. He wouldn't let Sasuke walk away after each one without something - even if it was just a massive bruise.

He had to have been making some definite progress if he had already made a summoning contract with the hawks. Emiri called as she flew above them, soaring ahead and perching on a lookout before trailing after. Who was the King or Queen of the hawks?

When they reached his apartment and Emiri was fed, Sakura was ready for him to say goodbye, but he turned to her, something obviously on his mind. She folded her arms, waiting, and then he opened his mouth and closed it again before gesturing to follow him. Curious and a little irritated, she did, and this time when she questioned him he didn't say anything.

Sakura didn't either when she recognised the surroundings and realised where he was going. It wasn't long before they stood before the once proud gates of the Uchiha clan. The weather from months ago had torn the last of the clan flags from the poles that were stuck in the stone atop the two main pillars. Funny, how they had lasted all these years - until she came.

She frowned. "Sasuke…"

"A lot of things are changing," he interrupted. "Spent a lot of time drowning in the past." His voice dropped to a whisper. "This place has too."

He looked to the side and she saw that leaning against the wall of the compound were mops, buckets, brooms and a box of cleaning products.

"I've started to change," he said. "So should my old home." He turned back to Sakura. She was startled by his hard gaze. "It's about time that Konoha saw the Uchiha clan as something other than what it once was. It's about time they saw who we were and how we lived - and how we can be."

"What do you plan to do to it?" she asked tentatively. She felt like that anything she said might tip him off, make him change his mind or something – she didn't know what. She didn't expect this at all, let alone this _soon_. Wasn't he moving too fast? Or was it necessary for him because of his decision to stay to get rid of what once scared him?

"I spoke to Kakashi. He agrees that the houses can be rented or sold to any ninja or families interested."

Sakura looked back at the Uchiha Clan compound, at how dark and empty felt, remembered how lonely it seemed when she walked through it in the rain. Softly, she asked, "Who would want to live here?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out eventually." He looked to her. "Will you help me with the change?"

An impish smile moved on her lips. "Do I get paid?"

"No."

"Oh. Well. No harm in asking." She sighed, walking towards the tools and grabbing at the mop and bucket. "Better get started."

She couldn't help but smile when Sasuke reached for the broom. Him, doing chores? Oddly cute.

"Where do we start?"

He tilted his head at the nearest house, and once there stood on the veranda. The floorboards were covered in dust, the windows open or ripped off its hinges. The door stood closed. She could see rust on the metal and mould along the bottom, suggesting that the inside may have flooded at one point. Sakura waited until he was ready, wanted to give him time to find the strength, before he opened the door.

And eventually he did.

Mouldy, musty air billowed out, making her gag. Even Sasuke wrinkled his nose. He took the first step in and she followed. Inside was fairly well lit, darkened by dust and age only. It was roomy as well, pots and pans still in the sink and rusting, plates and bowls and cups of porcelain resting on the counters and table where cushions were obviously pushed away in a hurry.

Sakura took a step back, frightened. She could imagine the yells and screams this family heard on the street and hurriedly ran outside to check. She could actually see that there was tea still left in their cups, and by now all she saw was mould.

God, hadn't Konoha cleaned this place themselves, aside from removing the bodies? Did they really just leave everything the way it was, untouched? Now Sasuke had to see everything the family of the house – of any house – had been doing the second Itachi started killing. She half-expected him to back out, but he didn't, and after a couple more seconds he set the broom against the wall and went to the nearest closed window and opened it. Light filtered in.

"Go through the rooms. Open everything up," he said.

Sakura could only nod. She couldn't imagine what was going through his mind. What would he do with the china? Or the paintings and many belongings that vandals' didn't destroy or steal?

She tip-toed her way down the hall, opening the doors she came across. She held back the tears when she glanced in each room and saw something of each member of the family in it; teddy bears, blood-stained clothes, picture frames and other items on the floor, including kunai and shuriken and paper.

She was an idiot in thinking this was going to be easy, that it was just going to be a regular clean-up. It wasn't. Not at all.

When she got back to the main room Sasuke had already moved the other tools outside, along with a few bins. He was going to throw everything out?

Sakura voiced her question.

"No. Not everything. I'll sort."

He hopped up to the veranda, an unreadable expression on his face that he had been trying to hide from her since they entered.

"Is there any way I can help to make it easier?" she asked gently.

His body was tense, is muscles expanded, his hands clenched. "Yeah. Toss anything with blood still on it."

"Sure."

"And Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"Don't act sorry for me. I don't need any more of it."

"I'm not acting!" she shot back sharply. "And I'm not sorry for you. I'm concerned. There is a difference."

Sakura said nothing else as she spun and went back inside. She stopped at the hallway, hearing Sasuke walk around the veranda to the back, his footsteps soft and quiet. Exhaling, she started to look through the bedrooms, finding a few blood speckled items and faded stains on the wood. She had to bite her lip to stop from crying when she came upon a child's room and saw their sheets pulled back on their bed, revealing the dried blood on the once white material.

She had to hold her breath as she yanked the sheets and covers off, only to see the stained mattress below. She exhaled so hard her chest ached. Tears burned in her eyes. She turned and fled the room, throwing the sheets into the discard bin, breathing in the somewhat fresh air.

"Funny how much we react to old blood, rather than the fresh blood we spill," Sasuke noted.

"None of it is funny," she snapped.

He said nothing in response but grabbed his broom. "Sweep first. Then mop."

Over the next few days it became somewhat of a project to clean every inch of the first house and fix anything broken or torn. They had found a leak in the kitchen that had softened the wood and at the same time realised just how much work needed to go into this. They needed wood, nails, hammers, so much more just to fix one house, but they got started anyway. And eventually it wasn't just the two of them.

Lee had seen Sakura carrying two planks of wood towards the Uchiha compound and insisted upon helping. She didn't need it but accepted anyway, and when they reached the house Lee requested to help in the construction. Sasuke, who was sweaty and flushed from working on the roof, a hammer in his hand, yelled, "grab a hammer and get started!" right away.

They tossed out decayed furniture and moved the rest of them outside so that they could work better inside. The gardens around back were horribly overgrown, thick with weeds thistles, the vegetable and fruit patches long since dead and black. They cleaned it out and made neat small fences, leaving it empty.

They were still working on the same house a week later when Tenten and Neji appeared at the gates, the latter with his arms crossed. Tenten gazed around the area with a soft expression, but then smiled when she saw her green-clad teammate sawing wood out front.

"Need some help?" Neji called out.

Sakura popped her head out the open window, grinning. Sasuke appeared at the entrance. "I was wondering when you would show up," he said.

Neji snorted. "Like you would tell me you had started."

Tenten giggled. "We only found out because we were wondering where Lee had disappeared to."

"I couldn't resist the challenge!" said teenage cried. "Come, my teammates! Hup hup!"

Neji shook his head as Tenten bounded up to the tai-jutsu user and asked what had to be done. The chuunin approached Sasuke, looking around and peering inside.

"Wouldn't you have a lot of missions?" Sakura asked when Sasuke gestured Neji inside and told him what he could do.

"Yes. But I made a promise," he answered, then set to work.

With the help of two more ninja the house was quickly coming together, even with all their other duties, and by the end of the fourth week all that was needed was a fresh coating on the floorboards and the reconnection of plumbing and electricity. Everything that Sasuke decided to keep were boxed and put in a corner of the backroom until he could figure out what to do with them.

Although hard work it was one of the things Sakura looked forward to the most at the start of her day. They worked together, they drank and ate together, they laughed together – more-or-less, at least. Time passed even quicker because of it.

Then they had finished, sweaty and hot and looking at their work.

"That's one," Tenten said. "How many more to go?"

"There were approximately fifty families in the Uchiha Clan," Sasuke answered.

"Oh."

Silence.

Then Sakura snorted, holding back her laughter but failing. It spilled out when Tenten joined her, and together they giggled, and the men glanced at each other, smiling. Lee was the one who first grabbed the nearest broom and turned to them, stamping the bristles on the ground.

"Alright men!" he shouted. "And women. We've got a long mission ahead of us! It will take many weeks! It will take blood and sweat and—"

"Come on, Lee," Neji said. "Let's go to the next house."

"Right behind you!"

* * *

><p>The markets were busy this time of year in Raizokou, a town known for its hot unique meals found nearby to the Rain country. The bazaar was covered, closing in the loud shouting of the civilians as they moved from stall to stall or the shopkeepers crowing for attention, but above it all Itachi could still hear the rain hitting the roof hard.<p>

He flinched in irritation when someone brusquely passed him for the millionth time, and with a restrained sigh glowered at Kisame humming along loudly to the tune of a distant instrument. At least someone was enjoying himself, but Itachi found it a chore to enjoy the finer details of life, ever since he had to become accustomed to the new state of his arm.

He could still hold things, grasp them like he used to, but the feel of it all was so suppressed that he couldn't quite tell if it was in his hands to begin with. Kisame had long since noticed this development, and Itachi wondered if he had already reported his possible liability to Leader, but so far there'd been no change in plans. As it was, Itachi re-trained himself when he could, and it was beginning to be a challenge.

"Arm still bothering you?" Kisame's voice punctured his thoughts.

Itachi blinked. "What gives you that idea?"

"You're holding it."

Itachi looked and casually let go of his arm. It had become a habit to test where along it he could actually feel, that he often caught himself doing it without realising it.

Kisame chuckled. "Don't worry. There's no way a simple thing such as that could bring down the almighty Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi didn't answer his jubilant partner, more because of another man pushing into him than lacking a response.

Kisame laughed softly again. "You are not having a good day."

By the time they found a place to settle in and eat, Itachi was ready to express his irritation with the next person who touched him in any way. He groaned as he sat, glad to rest his haunches. Kisame settled Samehada next to him, grinning at the customers nearby who eyed his weapon with distaste and a glimmer of fear. Some left.

It wasn't long that they ordered and received their meal. Steam flushed his face and his stomach grumbled. Eager, he reached for his chopsticks and stopped. The napkins of the man next to him were unused, but a mark marred it.

His stomach flipped.

The mark was instantly familiar. He had been seeing it in his dreams for months, wondering what on earth it meant, what its significance was for a young pink-haired kunoichi fresh out of the Academy. He remembered his confusion when he had seen that symbol in that fear of hers where she participated in the war, on the soldiers who wore it on their headbands.

United.

It was what puzzled him the most. It was such a fine detail that he couldn't miss it. It was such a small and meaningful thing that was out of sorts for this strange girl. And since then he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Unity. Hope. Peace.

It had silently inspired him all this time.

Itachi stared at the man beside him until he noticed the weight of the gaze and looked back. He was a thin man but had a face full of hair; his beard was long, hiding his mouth from view.

"Not interested, pretty boy," he mumbled, turning back to his friend with a final glare. "Still going to the Locust's Lair next Friday?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

Itachi snapped his chopsticks and prodded at his broth. He had tried hard to forget the symbol and the girl in the past few months, and it was all for nought. Now he could think of little else. That and how the symbol ended up appearing before him in a random stall, in a random town.

* * *

><p>It was getting hotter during the day; enough that Sakura cared very little about her smell when she knew she'd be grimy and sweaty by the end of the day, especially after she'd been working on the Uchiha project. Despite being skilled with a shuriken, a kunai, or other ninja tools, she still had small nicks over her hands and knuckles when wielding construction tools.<p>

She had to concentrate as she sawed through the wood safely. Normally Lee would do this chore, but he and his team were away on a mission, and while they were short on them in particular, the rest of the graduates from their year had joined in gradually over the past few weeks.

Chouji found them first. He appeared one day at their next house with a pulley of drinks and cooked meals, and after a quick lunch and thanks, he stayed to help. His strength was incredibly useful in carting fresh wood anywhere, but it was his motivation to do this that interested Sakura the most. He didn't talk much, not until Shikamaru arrived back from a mission and grudgingly assisted.

From there, Team 8 insisted on helping in their spare time around missions and training.

It was rare when they were all together at the house working. It was more like shifts than anything else, but it worked. Each of them knew their task when they arrived. And before long, it wasn't just the graduates helping.

There were some villagers who, after passing the compound every day, stopped and walked in. At first Sakura thought they'd help just for the day, but they were there the next, and more with them in the time afterwards. There were groups working on their own house, all reporting to the Konoha 11 for directions, who went to Sasuke for anything else.

Sakura often saw Sasuke standing atop one of the houses, looking out over the broad compound and the many people of Konoha helping with the rebuild, and the expression he held always made her smile. He looked thankful.

The saw cut through the wood and hit the ground with a loud clank. Sighing in relief, Sakura wiped her forehead and looked around house number four. Today, Chouji, Kiba and Hinata were there, pulling off the weak floorboards inside and dispatching them at the wood yard created near the entrance of the compound. The villagers and some ninja were working on a home just around the corner. She could hear them shouting and laughing.

Sakura straightened. Sasuke wasn't there.

Propping the saw against the block, Sakura hoisted the wooden plank over her shoulder and walked to number four. Hinata immediately arrived to steady the weight.

"Did you see where Sasuke went?" Sakura asked.

The normally pale girl was a little more tanned now, and her cheeks were flush with exertion.

"He wandered off," she said. "Somewhere over there."

"Okay. Thanks."

They passed the wood to Chouji, Kiba, and some other villagers before Sakura clapped the dust off her hands and went to find the Uchiha, grabbing a bottle along the way. She hadn't yet explored the rest of the compound but had a vague idea of the layout from when she had walked through it years ago – before Konoha was destroyed in the battle with Pein. Despite that she still got a little turned around, until she recognised the yellow umbrella still stuck in the ground outside of a house, and then saw Sasuke standing further back at the corner of the street. He shifted, noticing her.

"There you are!" she called.

He didn't move, so she made for him. He met her halfway slowly. His eyes didn't leave the front of his old home. The wooden door was rotted and scratched with weaponry, and the lock on it was weathered. Clearly, even if he had visited his old home before, he had never gone inside.

"How often do you come here?" Sakura said softly.

"Whenever I can."

"When will you go inside?"

"When I'm strong enough."

She paused. "Are you strong enough?"

He exhaled. "It would be easier… if Naruto were here too."

Sakura smiled. "I'm sure he'd be very happy to hear that. But who knows when he'd return."

"Hm."

"Would you like Neji to take his place?" she said, holding back a giggle.

"The only thing those two have in common is the letter 'N' at the beginning of their name."

"And yet Naruto…"

"Naruto says the wrong things."

Sakura fell silent, not quite following his logic. "Do you want to work around it until he comes back? Or demolish it, and never see the inside?"

"I couldn't live with myself if I got rid of it just because I'm not strong enough. In time I will go inside."

"Sasuke—"

"Do you see that power pole?"

She looked back in the direction she had come. The street was stretched long, and at the end was a pole, its cords cut and hanging around it. The Uchiha compound was not tendered at all over the years.

"Yeah."

"I remember my brother standing atop it; his Sharingan on me, like he was a vulture. He put me in his reality of slaughtering our entire family." His voice trembled and his hands fisted. "He traumatised me. And yet…" He looked to her, expression hard. "Why do I see him crying?"

Sakura frowned. "Crying?"

Sasuke turned away. "For months now, all I can see are his tears."

"Is that why you wanted to rebuild the compound?"

"One of. I've been meaning to for a while, but when those dreams began… I felt I needed to do something right away."

A lull fell over them, filled only with the background sawing of wood and chatter of people and birds.

"Sakura," he said, voice strained. "Can I trust you?"

"You have thus far."

"I didn't ask you that. I asked if I could trust you."

Sakura frowned. "Yes." _Hell, I've got the secret of a lifetime._

For minutes he said nothing, and when he did, he was soft. "You were right. There's more to that night than meets the eye. I know for sure now. And even if I'm staying in Konoha, I know I'm not safe. There's something happening here, too. I can feel it. I just need to find out what it is."

Sakura's pulse quickened. "You're talking treason."

"If the shoe fits."

She released a shaky breath. This could be an interesting turn of events.

"Oh."

He chuckled. "Sakura Haruno has no opinion? There's a first time for everything."

"Sasuke, this is serious," she amended.

"You know I'm right."

"Sasuke—"

"You _know_ I'm _right_," he said firmly.

Sakura swallowed. Yes, she knew of the corruption of Danzo, of some of the workings behind the massacre, but she was still privy to very little, mostly because, at that time, she was just glad to finally have peace again. Curiosity rose up now, though. How _was_ Itachi convinced to kill his family? What _was_ the Third Hokage's part in this? How far did it all go back? What did Danzo truly want? What else was a factor in the budding corruption of the town? What's more, what else has changed in the dynamics of the council that started because of her?

"Yes," she said. "But that doesn't mean you must start something that would be impossible to back out of if caught."

"Then it's a good thing I haven't started."

"Plans are a foundation, Sasuke. You've already started."

"Then what do you plan to do?" he asked pointedly. "Will you give me up to Kakashi? To the Hokage?"

Words failed Sakura instantly. She didn't want to ruin anything of their relationship by admitting his thoughts to someone, but she also feared what the outcome of this budding plan may take the future of Konoha.

"There are many doubts, Sakura," Sasuke continued. "But I will make a deal with you."

"Fine." She crossed her arms.

"The moment I have the strength to stand at the spot where my parents were killed…" His voice hitched. "…Is the moment I know I will be strong enough, sure enough, to investigate Konoha."

"And what do I get out of it?"

"You have until then to convince me that whatever information is being swept under the rug would not be of benefit for Konoha – for any one of us – to know."

"Ever heard of the phrase 'let sleeping lions lie'?" she pressed.

"What if they're in your only escape route?"

"You're not trapped here, Sasuke!"

"No."

It was curt. Sakura tensed.

"But I am being lied to."

"We are all lied to! Everyday! For our own protection!" Sakura said, beginning to rise to a shout.

"I will not let an illusion comfort me." Sasuke turned to her and grabbed her shoulders firmly. "You want to know what I want? What I want to do next? I want the truth. I want to find my brother and hear his words again. I want to know if Konoha is at all tied to what happened to my clan. I just. Want. The _truth_."

Sakura shook in his hands, from sadness or fury she had no clue. "And what will you do with it? Exact revenge? Leave? Good luck finding any sort of peace and happiness in this hellish world, Sasuke, because you're not going to find it living in solitude—and you'd know that, wouldn't you?!"

He shoved her, growling. "Shut up. Who are you to judge me?"

"I'm the one you trust!" she snapped. "I'm the one who will give you anything you want up front! If you're being an idiot, I'll tell you you're being an idiot! It's what I'm here for! Is it not what family is for, too?"

For a moment he simply stared at her, jaw shifting in restrained anger, and when that moment ended he growled aloud and ran a hand through his hair.

"I hate it when you speak like that," he said through his teeth.

"Hey. If you didn't want my opinion, you didn't need to say anything."

"I _want_ your _help_, Sakura," he said firmly. "I need your help, because of all the people I trust, you are the only one who can walk in to that tower and walk back out without anyone getting suspicious. I've seen you do it. I'm an Uchiha. No matter what, eyes will always be on me wherever I go."

Sakura exhaled and put her hands on her hips, staring at the ground. "Why not Kakashi-sensei? Don't you trust him?"

"I trust him with my life, not my motives."

Sakura deflated, releasing the tension built up within her. She flexed her hands and sighed. "This is so stupid."

He stepped back. "You still have time to convince me otherwise. But I doubt you will. There are secrets in Konoha. And I _am_ going to find them, whether you're with me or not."

He gave her no chance to say anything else before he disappeared from the street. Sakura closed her eyes and groaned loudly, holding back the urge to just scream at the top of her lungs.

She should have known that things were not going to be perfect when Sasuke said he was staying. She should have known that with his decision he had other motives that he'd want to complete. He was like that no matter what, it seemed. He was simply an ambitious person, a truth-seeker, and even if she was curious about whatever answers he'd scrounge up, answers that she'd long ago thought nothing of until now, there were some answers that could set this future back on to the one she'd experienced herself.

This felt even more dangerous. In this future, she had no idea how powerful he could get.

Yet the future didn't matter to her; or at least she tried not to care about it. What mattered was figuring out what she should do, and she had no clue. She didn't even know where to start.

* * *

><p>He was rarely irritated; or rather it was rare that he let it show. Now, though, he could feel that emotion seeping through his mask of composure. He hadn't been feeling well recently, but it had been a long while that he had ever felt any sort of invigorating inspiration that had him actively doing something that could be so so dangerous for his position.<p>

The smart thing would have been to lie low, like he'd been doing as well as he could for years, but now just felt right. He could feel it in his bones that there was something coming, something out there that he needed to prepare for, that he _had_ to prepare everyone he loved for. And he knew that he was not alone.

There was someone else. And it was this someone else that made him irritated. It was this someone else he was meeting, and risking his cover; in the Locust's Lair.

He entered the building cloaked in red and black drapes, women lingering and hanging from the balcony railings or pressed against the front walls. Some smiled at him, one curled her fingers at him as a way to reel him in to a promise of a night of an ecstasy he had long since denied himself. He had always had other things to do.

The inside was brightly lit. Patrons and their 'purchases for the evening' were separated sparsely from the other clients as they were fed liquor, appetisers and the fleeting touches and kisses of the whores. A finely dressed woman approached him as soon as he entered the lobby, and although he did deny himself the act he did examine her. She was pretty.

A dimpled-smile. Soft curves. A hidden desire beneath the guarded expression. The smaller things attracted him. Not the colour of the hair or eyes nor the size of anything. He appreciated subtlety.

"Good evening," she said. Her voice was low, sultry.

"I have an appointment."

She raised an eyebrow. "And the name?"

"Ryuichi."

Recognition lit her face. "Ahh, yes. For the exotic room." She curled her hand in the air and exposed her palm, where keys now sat. She obviously had a few tricks of her own. "They are ready for you."

"Thank you." Ryuichi took the keys, paused a second before her and her Chesire smile, then passed her for the stairs. He moved swiftly, perhaps appearing to others as merely an eager client. Eager, he was, but not for the reasons they'd think.

He quickly found the door and entered, only to stand in silent and concealed shock. He supposed that this type of environment was necessary but it was still unexpected, especially considering who he was meeting.

He ran his eyes over the double bed made with deep red and white simple sheets. Finely crafted furniture lined the walls, brown and glossed. The lights were dimmed a colour that, yes, wasn't a trick, gradually started to fade to a warm glow that unconsciously had him undoing the buttons of the collar of his guise.

Ryuichi stopped when he realised what he was doing.

A woman sauntered from a side door, hips rolling, hands caressing, a smile on her lips. He very nearly took a step back.

Then he sighed. "Admittedly, you almost had me fooled."

She pouted.

Ryuichi narrowed his eyes. "I didn't realise you were one for jokes, either. Been bored, have you?"

She shrugged. "You kept me waiting. You shouldn't leave a lady waiting, _Ryu__._"

"You are definitely no lady."

She grinned. "I thought I did well with all the necessary parts."

Ryuichi refused to comment, and instead raised his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation. "Can we just begin?"

She laughed. Inwardly he recoiled. Just knowing who this woman actually was as they laughed like that made him somewhat sick. It was the type of reaction she was going for as well, he knew that. As he'd said before though, he didn't think that she was the type for jokes either.

"Very well. Let's begin." She took a step forward. Ryuichi held up a hand.

"Only if you remove the guise."

"Oh? Prefer a little man on man action, do we?" she teased, rolling her shoulders.

He fought a groan of frustration and disgust. He had no time for games. "Just do it."

She laughed again. "As you wish, my client. This is the exotic room, after all."

Ryuichi rubbed his temple as the woman before him disappeared in smoke, replaced by a tall, bulky man.

"It was worth the embarrassment," the man said, grinning.

Ryuichi shook his head casually. "I am undercover. I hope that the time you've wasted with your joke hasn't caused me to lose it."

The other hit business mode and the smile disappeared. "Relax, Itachi. I'm aware of your position. I wouldn't do anything to harm it."

Itachi locked the door. "Please, don't."


End file.
